The Vultures

1984 1h 35m FR

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 154

WarComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

April 5, 1943: a battalion of the Foreign Legion arrives in El Ksour, Tunisia, to escort a fortune in gold bars to the home front. A German ambush awaits, and all but four die. Thanks to the street smarts of Sergeant Augagneur, the Legionnaires successfully counter attack. The bank manager and his seductive wife arrive, and so does a German lieutenant, whom the French arrest. Augagneur wants to steal the gold; warrant officer Mahuzard wants to do his duty. A series of alliances form and break apart, the group dwindles in number, and the gold heads south toward Betahoua. But in whose possession?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo
Sergeant Pierre Augagneur
Michel Constantin
Adjutant Edouard Mahuzard
Jacques Villeret
Brigadier Béral
Michel Creton
Legionnaire Boissier
Marie Laforêt
Hélène Laroche-Fréon
François Perrot
François Laroche-Fréon, director of the bank
Gérard Buhr
Supply camp officer
Matthias Habich
Karl Brenner

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henri Verneuil
Writers: Michel Audiard, Pierre Siniac, Henri Verneuil
Languages: German, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

42 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Henri Verneuil, shot by Edmond Séchan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pierre Gillette shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michel Constantin and Jacques Villeret carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0087742 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henri Verneuil directs. Edmond Séchan behind the camera. Georges Delerue scores. Pierre Gillette cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in German, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

142 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, French.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Henri Verneuil, shot by Edmond Séchan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Pierre Gillette shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michel Constantin and Jacques Villeret carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0087742 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.