The Sicilian Clan

Director: Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil

Overview

Roger Santet (Alain Delon) is a convicted murderer sprung from prison by the Sicilian clan headed by the aging Vittorio Manalese (Jean Gabin). They conspire to steal a large cache of jewels from an exhibit in Rome. As they are preparing for the heist, the mobster's American friend Tony Nicosia (Amedeo Nazzarri) suggests that a better way to get the rocks would be to hijack the transport plane while it is en route to New York. The dogged inspector Le Goff (Lino Ventura) is using all the available resources to thwart their plans. Though the heist itself is successful, Santet finds himself trapped by the mob because of his fling with Manalese's daughter-in-law (Irina Demick).

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2017
UPC:	0738329206154
Original Release:	1969
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:58:00

Special Features

2K Restoration of the "125-Minute International Cut"; Legend of the Clan - Featurette (1:03:33); Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson; The Sicilian Clan by Fred Cavaye (4:15); Animated Montage of Images; French and US Theatrical Trailers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jean Gabin	Vittorio Manalese
Alain Delon	Roger Sartet
Lino Ventura	Le Goff
Irina Demick	Jeanne
Amedeo Nazzari	Tony,Actor
Sydney Chaplin	Jack
Elisa Cegani	Maria
Karen Blanguernon	Therese
Marc Porel	Sergio
Yves Lefebvre	Aldo Manalese
Philippe Baronnet	Luigi
Leopoldo Trieste	Stamp Expert
Cesar Chauveau	Roberto
Danielle Volle	Monique Sartet
Edward Meeks	Pilot
Jacques Duby	Rovel
Yves Brainville	The Judge
Gérard Buhr	Inspector
Raoul Delfosse	Léoni
Sally Nesbitt	Mrs. Evans
André Pousse	Malik
André Thorent	Inspector Bordier
Sabine Sun	Actor
Ennio Morricone	Composer

Technical Credits

Henri Verneuil

José Giovanni

Pierre Pelegri

Henri Verneuil	Director,Screenwriter
José Giovanni	Screenwriter
Pierre Pelegri	Screenwriter
Jacques Strauss	Producer
Jacques E. Strauss	Producer

Editorial Reviews

One of the better European crime thrillers of the late 1960s, Le Clan des Siciliens (aka The Sicilian Clan) isn't especially flashy, but it's clever, well crafted, throws some welcome surprises into the mix and features a number of fine performances from a strong cast. Jean Gabin brings both gravitas and world-weary cool to the role of Vittorio Manalese, an aging crime boss who has blocked out plans for a multi-billion dollar jewel heist, and though Alain Delon isn't quite as impressive as impulsive career criminal Roger Santet, he deftly captures the man's talent for violence and his moody impatience, which respectively prove to be his greatest strength and his Achilles Heel. By comparison, Lino Ventura is given a thankless role as Le Goff, the police detective determined to put Manalese and his underlings behind bars, but Ventura's steely determination makes his presence keenly felt even if he gets less screen time than his co-stars, and he generates some subtle but welcome comedy relief as perhaps the first Frenchman who has ever tried to quit smoking. Director Henri Verneuil (who also helped write the screenplay, adapted from Auguste Le Breton's novel) lets the momentum of the film build gradually, and if it takes its time getting up to full speed, he carefully sets up the stage rather than dawdling, and the characters and their situations have plenty of time to establish themselves before we're pulled in to the big caper and its grim aftermath (both played with a welcome sense of restraint). The story casually jumps from one continent to another through the course of the running time, and Henri Decae's cinematography captures the look of each location with clarity, while Ennio Morricone contributes a typically impressive and idiosyncratic score (this one prominently featuring a Jew's Harp). Le Clan des Siciliens is not the kind of movie that calls attention to its narrative devices; it's a straightforward bit of crime storytelling, but the craft is strong enough (and it's applied with enough intelligence) that Verneuil and his cast deliver something several cuts above the usual Euro-thriller of the era, and it plays well decades after its initial release.