Drummer-Crab

1977 2h 0m FR

👍

6.5

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 73★7IMDB · 951

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

"Le Crabe Tambour" ("Drummer Crab") is the nickname for the mysterious central character, Willsdorff (Jacques Perrin), an Alsatian, whose doomed, out-of-date career is recalled through the tales of three naval officers currently serving aboard a French supply ship in the North Atlantic.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jean Rochefort
Captain, commander of the escort ship
Claude Rich
Pierre, medical officer
Jacques Perrin
Lieutenant Willsdorff, 'Le Crabe-Tambour'
Aurore Clément
Aurore, nurse in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
Odile Versois
The wife at the bistro of the former gendarme
Pierre Rousseau
Babourg, former sailor
Jacques Dufilho
Chief mechanic
François Dyrek
Former gendarme, boss of the bistro

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pierre Schoendoerffer
Writers: Jean-François Chauvel, Pierre Schoendoerffer
Languages: 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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer, shot by Raoul Coutard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Jean Rochefort and Claude Rich and Jacques Perrin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075885 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 73 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pierre Schoendoerffer directs. Raoul Coutard behind the camera. Philippe Sarde scores. Michèle Lavigne cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer, shot by Raoul Coutard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Philippe Sarde. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michèle Lavigne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jean Rochefort and Claude Rich and Jacques Perrin carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0075885 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 73 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.