The Brain (1969 film)
- Jean -Paul Belmondo: Arthur Lespinasse
- André Bourvil: Anatole
- David Niven: Col. Carol Matthews, the mastermind
- Eli Wallach: Frankie Scannapieco
- Silvia Monti: Sofia
- Tommy Duggan: Cummings
- Sophie Grimaldi: Blonde in the train
- Frank Valois: Bruno
- Jacques Ciron: Inspector Duboeuf
- Jacques Balutin: Inspector Pochet
The Super Brain (Le Cerveau ) is a French-Italian comedy film directed by Gérard Oury in the style of so-called heist movie that was filmed in 1969. The elaborately staged film shows how competing crooks rob a cash in transit of NATO. The crazy story was inspired by the Postzugraub 1963 in England.
Action
Both sympathetic and quite naive petty thief Arthur and Anatole forge a plan that laden with sacks of NATO train that will travel from Paris to Brussels rob. Arthur is extra fled in launching the raid four days before his release from prison. They do not suspect that other crooks, among them the " mastermind ", pursue the same objective.
The so-called " super-brain " is a notorious Brit who has five years earlier, robbed the mail train Glasgow- London. His enormous intelligence lets his head while thinking through the heavy weight of his brain sideways fall on the shoulder. In his second identity as a British officer Colonel Matthews he is practically mandated the million dollar ( £ 5 million ) to carry out cash transport of the 14 NATO member countries.
The choleric, something stupid mob boss Frankie Scannapieco is another competitor in the race for the millions. Scannapieco acts initially as an accomplice of Matthews and want to wash the stealing money behind this goes then but since him his share of the loot is too low. Scannapiecos beautiful sister Sofia has her eye on Matthews, what hot-blooded Sicilian - who wants to protect their "honor" - drives them to incandescence.
The mastermind and his gang want to handle the raid as well as during an attack on the mail train. Also, Arthur has studied exactly those robbery and plans to carry it with Anatole. Although they first come to the money bags and throw them off a bridge, where they are but loaded and transported away from the disguised as firemen complicity of the super-brain. While escaping the latter come into a police check and are fixed, with the false police who Scannapiecos are people who take possession of the money.
It develops a hair-raising chase, the "How won some, you lose " in the port of Le Havre to the pattern comes to an end. Arthur, Anatole and the mastermind team up to perform a new coup in the United States.
Background
Until 1967, the seat of NATO was in and around the Palais de Chaillot in Paris and then in Brussels in the northwest of the city on the Boulevard Leopold.
With more than five million viewers of the film in France was very successful.
The film was shot in parallel in French and English, as the U.S. investors did not accept dubbed version.
The title song " The Brain" is interpreted by The American Breed.
DVD
On 4 December 2006, a two-disc edition was published. While there is the original theatrical version on the first DVD, is seen on the second, the six minutes long original version. The additional minutes, however, are not synchronized in German. It is said the original language at the appropriate scenes and provided with German subtitles.
Reviews
- " Big stars and comedians in humor and playfulness. " ( Rating: 2 ½ stars = above average) - Adolf Meier Heinzl and Berndt Schulz in: Encyclopedia " Movies on TV ". Advanced edition. Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3, p 791
- Lexicon of international film: " Imaginative staged and brilliantly played comedy thriller with a wealth of surprising gags. "
- Movie - rezensionen.de: " ... missing the " mastermind " above all at the beginning of the necessary tangy, fresh wit and the right timing in order to convince as a caper comedy can, so the bottom line is only one is presented in smaller parts of successful gangster film, of with an interesting plot, and at least can boast a fine cast. " ( Stephan Eicke )
- Prisma.de: " The legendary post- robbery, the whole of England held its breath in 1964, has already inspired several filmmakers. Comedy specialist Gérard Oury turned it into an imaginative crime grotesque, in which David Niven and Jean -Paul Belmondo are gorgeous funny. "