French secret agent Joss Baumont (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is sent to kill an African president named Njala. When he reaches there, the political situation changes and instead of bringing him back, the French secret service turns him to African authorities. With the help of a friend, he manages to escape the prison and he returns to France. He is determined to take revenge against the French secret service. He deliberately informs his chief that he wants to kill Njala who is coming to France for an official visit. But his biggest nemesis turns out to be Inspector Rosen (Robert Hossein). Belmondo’s character is partly influenced by James Bond’s character. He is good with women. He has a certain star charisma. But there is a certain kind of French treatment as well. The lead character suffers from loneliness. We do see that his wife and one of his mistresses care for him yet we are not sure of their intentions. The film features one of the topmost car chase sequences on-screen. It will remind you about the iconic sequence of the French connection. The film features a spectacular score with a famous theme tune (entitled “Chi Mai”) by Ennio Morricone. That theme tune will be repeated at the key moments of the film. Inspector Rosen is a creepy character. He instructs his female secretary to sexually assault women for the purpose of extracting information out of them. Belmondo pulls up his role quite convincingly. He looks good in physical comedy as well as in intense action scenes. Robert Hossein is excellent as an antagonist. He easily fits into the role of a maniac police officer. The duel between these two keeps the film going. It is a well-made French action film with a touch of melancholy.
debarshithecinemaniac 