The Sicilian Clan

A French crime film. Vittorio Manalese runs a family in Paris. He is Sicilian by origin; he lives with his sons, his daughter-in-law and his grandchildren, and the business runs inside the family. Nobody is taken in from outside. Roger Sartet is in prison awaiting execution. The Manalese family gets him out; the reason is not mercy but a plan he holds. The plan is large: a jewel collection to be exhibited in Rome will be flown to America and taken in the air. From there the film is about preparation. Aircraft models, rehearsal, timing, false papers and a landing planned on a motorway. The robbery section is long and technical. The third party is the police. Inspector Le Goff has been after Sartet for years; patient, insistent, always circling the same places. What the narrative is interested in is not the robbery but the family: all of Manalese's strength comes from trusting nobody, and what breaks the job comes not from outside but from inside the house. Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Lino Ventura take the main parts; each was among the best-known actors of his generation and putting them together was an event at the time. The music is by Ennio Morricone and the main theme became known apart from the film. Henri Verneuil directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes European crime films and detailed heist narratives. Who it is not for: anyone expecting fast action; the film is long, heavy and gives a great deal of time to preparation.