Deadfall

Starring: Michael Caine, Giovanna Ralli, Eric Portman, David Buck, Leonard Rossiter, Nannette Newman

Synopsis:

Expert cat-burglar Henry Stuart Clarke (Caine) is approached by husband-and-wife jewel thieves Richard and Fe Moreau (Portman and Ralli) to join them in robbing the ultra rich and aloof Salinas (Buck) – many have tried to rob him before, but none have succeeded thanks to his cunning and security. The trio embark on a warm-up heist with great success, but as they prepare for the Salinas job, Henry and Fe become involved in a heated affair. Henry’s obsession for Fe drives him to delve into Richard’s past to discover what power he has over her – with devastating results.

Review:

Deadfall is an interesting oddity from 1968. It has all the trappings of an early James Bond movie: the film is scored by John Barry, and the opening theme is sung by Shirley Bassey. The sun-drenched Mediterranean is out backdrop and our hero even drives an Aston Martin! However, other than one exceptional set-piece, the film is devoid of any action.

We first meet Henry at an exclusive spa clinic, where he is posing as a recovering alcoholic in order to ingratiate himself with Salinas, who is also a patient. While he is there he is approached by Fe Moreau. She and her husband are a team of safe-cracking jewel thieves, and require Henry’s athletic skills, while they can offer Henry a safe means of selling his ill-gotten gains.

Michael Caine plays Henry with a lot of laid-back charm. There’s a great line when he confronts Fe with the building sexual tension between them and the inevitability of them having sex:

“This is the second time (Richard) has sent you instead of him. Does that mean you’re part of the deal? Because, if not…what are we going to do about it?”

The dialogue for the most part has a very naturalistic rhythm. This can be witnessed best with the scene with Leonard Rossiter (the original Reginald Perrin). Rossiter’s Filmore has information on just about everyone, and is the man Henry approaches to get some background info on the Moreaus. The only person who’s dialogue doesn’t feel natural is Eric Portman. His delivery feels like it belongs in a completely different film altogether.

The reason that people other than Michael Caine completists should seek out this film is the heist set-piece which takes up the middle section of the film. Henry and Richard plan to break into a mansion whilst it’s owners are attending a concert. Composer John Barry, who wrote the guitar concerto specifically for the film, plays the conductor, whilst Renata Terrago is the guitar soloist. The guitar concerto is a lovely piece of music, made even more memorable as it is being performed as Caine scales the walls of the mansion and breaks in, to allow Richard to crack the safe. Trouble is, the safe has been updated and the combination changed!

Unfortunately, the rest of Deadfall sinks into melodrama. The main heist is all but forgotten in the process, although Henry and Salinas bump into each other at a fancy-dress ball. The Ball itself is one of those typical cinematic parties, which wants to be hip and decadent and formal all at the same time. It is here that Henry bumps into a naïve social-climbing party girl, played by Nanette Newman (shortly thereafter Mrs Forbes). They have my second favourite exchange in the film: when Henry asks her if she’s an actress, she replies “oh no, I want to be in movies”.

It becomes clear early on that Richard is gay and his marriage to Fe is one of social image and convenience. There is love there, of sorts, but is it strong enough to resist the pull of Henry as he tries to convince Fe to leave with him? Is there more to it? These are the questions asked over and over again for the remainder of the film, and unfortunately lead to an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Verdict

The fascinating setup is undone by a meandering, overly melodramatic second half. This would score lower if not for the fantastic guitar concerto sequence.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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