Cartouche (film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Cartouche is a 1962 French film directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Claudia Cardinale.
Plot
In the 18th century, Louis Dominique Bourguignon is working with Malichot's gang, but their ways are too 'unethical' for him. He hides out from Malichot and joins the army, where he and his two new friends survive by hiding out on the battlefield. Together they rob the general of his gold. Fleeing, they stop at an inn where they meet Venus, a beautiful gypsy who has been taken prisoner. He rescues her and she joins his gang. Returning to Paris, de Bourguignon creates his own band, acting under the name of Cartouche, and most of Malichot's gang join him. They make audacious robberies of the rich people, and distribute the takings with the poor. Thus, Cartouche attracts the people's sympathies, Venus's love, and hate from the Police and Malichot. Malichot goes to the police to betray Cartouche, but Cartouche can escape all the traps they set at him - except the entrapments of love. Eventually, the police use this against him and set a trap while he has a tryst with Venus in the countryside. He is captured, but his men ambush the guards as they lead him away. In the scuffle that follows, Cartouche is saved by Venus, who sacrifices her life to save him from harm. Cartouche and his men place Venus's body in an expensive carriage they stole earlier from a nobleman and roll the carriage in a lake. As the carriage slowly sinks Cartouche tells his men to disperse as he vows to avenge the death of his beloved Venus - a way that he anticipates will lead him sooner or later to the gallows.
Cast
- Jean-Paul Belmondo - Louis-Dominique Bourguignon alias Cartouche
- Claudia Cardinale - Vénus
- Jess Hahn - La Douceur
- Marcel Dalio - Malichot
- Jean Rochefort - La Taupe
- Philippe Lemaire - Gaston de Ferrussac
- Noël Roquevert - Le sergent recruteur
- Odile Versois - Isabelle de Ferrussac
- Jacques Charon - Le colonel
- Lucien Raimbourg - Le maréchal
- Jacques Balutin - Le moine Capucine
- Pierre Repp - Le marquis de Griffe
- Jacques Hilling - L'aubergiste
- Paul Préboist - Un gendarme
- René Marlic - Petit Oncle, le tavernier