Joss Beaumont (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a French spy given the assignment of killing an African dictator, and when he arrives in Africa to do so, he is captured and put in prison. The political winds had changed - the dictator is now an ally - and the best way to handle the agent is to keep him in jail. Naturally at odds now with his former bosses and with an ax to grind for his own incarceration, the agent escapes after two years in prison and heads back to Paris where he announces that he is going to finish his assassination job during the coming diplomatic visit of the African leader. Once aware of his intent, the French government sets up one trap after another, but to no avail - the agent remains free and there is no doubt that he has the full capacity to do exactly what he says. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
Jean-Louis Richard - Colonel Martin; Marie-Christine Descouard - Doris Frederiksen; Elizabeth Margoni - Mrs. Beaumont; Baaron; Sidiki Bakaba - Njala; Julien Bukowski; Gérard Darrieu - Picard; Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu - Farges; Pierre Forget; Pascal Nzonzi; Pierre Vernier - Salvatore Volfoni; André Weber; Daniel Breton; Cheikh Doukouré; Serge Nubret; Bernard Marcellin; Jean-Claude Bouillaud; Maurice Auzel; Marc Lamole
Credit
Georges Lautner - Director, Michelle David - Editor, Georges Dancigers - Executive Producer, Alexandre Mnouchkine - Executive Producer, Ennio Morricone - Composer (Music Score), Henri Decaë - Cinematographer, Alain Belmondo - Production Manager, Georges Dancigers - Producer, Alexandre Mnouchkine - Producer, Alain Sempe - Sound/Sound Designer, Jacques Audiard - Screenwriter, Michel Audiard - Screenwriter, Georges Lautner - Screenwriter, Patrick Alexander - Book Author
The music is composed by Ennio Morricone and the theme music "Chi Mai" is known worldwide.
Plot
The French secret agent Josselin Beaumont is sent to Malagawi, a fictional African country, to kill the ruling dictator, Colonel Njala. However, before he manages accomplish his mission, the political situation changes drastically and the French secret service resorts to handing over Beaumont to the Malagawian authorities. After a long and unfair trial, during which Beaumont is injected drugs, he is sentenced to long-term penal servitude at a "re-education camp". After a daring escape with one of the inmates he returns to France and informs the French secret service of his presence, promising that he will kill Njala, who is in France for an official visit, thus getting his revenge on the people who betrayed him. The secret service responds by setting other agents on Beaumont's trail, however he manages to remain one step ahead, humiliating and killing some of the major betrayers, including the sadistic chief of the secret police, Rosen. After the chief falls in a gunfight, Beaumont switches their ID cards, spreading confusion within the secret service and temporarily reducing Njala's guard. Beaumont eventually gets Njala killed, by tricking the secret service into shooting the dictator. As he finally tries to escape by slowly walking towards Njala's helicopter, Beaumont is shot by the direct order of the French government.
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