The title suggests it's a mafia movie, but it is not. Directed by Henri Verneuil, the movie starts with The Manaleses's attempt to free dangerous robber and cop killer, Roger Sartet (Delon), while being transferred to prison. The head of the family, Vittorio (Gabin), is an ambitious man who seems to want all the land in Sicily. Sartet comes with an idea to rob jewels worth 50 million, but after Vittorio Manalese and his old friend Tony Nicosia (Amedeo Nazzari) checked the exhibition building, they realize it is impossible. Later Nicosia comes up with a better plan: hijack the plane which transfers the jewels from Paris to New York.
The plane heist is done without much dialogues, also no killing, no hostages, no shots. I like how the pilot says he won't do anything that will endanger any of the passenger. Gabin and Delon, stands side by side, both wearing dark glasses with pistols in their hands - although with so few dialogues, we feel how dangerous they are and that they won't hesitate to kill the pilot if necessary. Another suspense is succesfully created when Mrs Evans enters the plane, looking for her husband, and then back to the information desk to say her husband is not there. The ending is very good: at first I didn't like that Sartet must die, but it's the best for everyone; and better still, it's not the police who shots him.
My favourite scene is when Sartet runs away from the whorehouse. Delon seems to do the stunts himself. In the trailer, the guy who lands on the bed seems not to be him, judging from the wavy hair, but this is gone from the movie. The police in this don't have much luck. The steel vehicle seems to be made from recycled cans and they miscalculate that Sartet dares to leave Paris for Rome. Poor Inspecteur Le Goff (Ventura) is even more depressed because he has decided to stop smoking. In the end, thankfully they are not so stupid and can solve the case.
The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is funny at times, with 'boing-boing' sound, like a spring toy.
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