IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
After fulfilling a contract killing in Los Angeles, a French hit man becomes the target of a hit himself and tries to flee back to Paris.After fulfilling a contract killing in Los Angeles, a French hit man becomes the target of a hit himself and tries to flee back to Paris.After fulfilling a contract killing in Los Angeles, a French hit man becomes the target of a hit himself and tries to flee back to Paris.
Ed Greenberg
- Hitchhiker
- (as Edward Greenberg)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Jackie Earle Haley, when Jean-Louis Trintignant slaps him in the face, Trintignant really slapped him hard. Two takes were filmed and Trintignant slapped for real both times.
- GoofsWhen the young cab driver is killed at home, he first receives the shot and then waits one second to be thrown on the floor, as if he hesitated to do it.
- Alternate versionsAn "X" Rated addition used for European release contains 10 additional minutes, most notably in the scene where Jean Louis Trintignant meets Ann Margret at the downtown LA nightclub. The European version contains full frontal nudity throughout the scene. This "X" rated version screened in Los Angeles at the American Cinematheque in 1998 and was mistakenly screened as the "PG" version on Showtime Networks in 2001.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-in Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 2 (1996)
Featured review
Not as good as it should have been
This had all the makings for a first rate international crime action drama. There is a good premise, of a hit-man agreeing to off a powerful crime boss to pay off a debt, only to discover it was a set-up with himself marked for death, a first-rate cast, a "Shaft"-inspired score by Oscar-winning composer Michel Legrand, and excellent location photography which captures the Los Angeles landscape. So why doesn't this film work? For one thing, it never settles on a tone, and it swerves between character study to crime drama and doesn't have enough of either. The character being studied is impossible to care about anyway, the crime aspects are never fully explored, and most the action scenes are mostly ordinary. Even the climactic shootout isn't all that exciting, in spite of happening in a clever location. The result is that the film is usually depressing. There are a few good scenes and the cast is more than up to the task. However, most of the actors are given little to do. In the lead, the great French actor Jean- Louis Trintignant does little more than glower or sulk, making this one of his less memorable performances. Ann Margaret is beautiful, but her role is merely set decoration. Georgia Engel steals the show as a ditsy housewife who innocently gets caught up in the double cross and violence, but she doesn't have that large of a role. The truth is, she's the only person who evokes any sympathy, with everyone else being either a vicious criminal, an inept cop, or an apathetic bystander. That wasn't an unusual situation in 1970's crime dramas, but it doesn't make for exciting viewing. Some people like this movie a lot, so if you're really interested, judge for yourself, but don't complain if you were also disappointed.
helpful•67
- highwaytourist
- Aug 9, 2010
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- A Man Is Dead
- Filming locations
- Beverly Hilton Hotel - 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA(Lucien arrives at his hotel.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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