Max et les ferrailleurs

1971 film by Claude Sautet

Claude Sautet
Claude Néron
Jean-Loup Dabadie

Based onMax et les ferrailleurs
by Claude NéronProduced byRaymond DanonStarring

Michel Piccoli
Romy Schneider
François Périer
Georges Wilson

CinematographyRené MathelinEdited byJacqueline ThiédotMusic byPhilippe Sarde

Production
companies

Lira Films
Sonocam S.A.
Fida Cinematografica

Distributed by

CFDC (France)
Fida Cinematografica (Italy)

Release dates

17 February 1971 (1971-02-17) (France)
12 March 1971 (1971-03-12) (Italy)

Running time

112 minutesCountries

France
Italy

LanguageFrench

Max et les ferrailleurs (English: Max and the Junkmen) is a 1971 crime drama film directed by Claude Sautet, based on the novel of the same name by Claude Néron. The film stars Michel Piccoli and Romy Schneider, with François Périer and Georges Wilson in supporting roles.

Plot

Born into a wealthy family of French vintners, Max is a loner who devoted himself entirely to his obsession: the arrest of criminals.^[1] A former judge he is a police inspector and he sees a new band of burglars escape. This failure is still fresh in his mind when he meets Abel who has become a scrap thief and plunders construction sites with a small band of hoodlums around Nanterre. Max plans to encourage them to commit something big and catch them on the spot. Posing as a client, he meets Lily,^[2] a young German-born prostitute who is the companion of Abel.^[3] He pretends to be the director of a small bank branch which receives significant amounts of money at regular intervals. He ensures the support of his police commissioner. Max fails however to reveal his role as instigator. Gradually, some feeling arises between Max and Lily. But Max keeps a reserved attitude and merely influences the scrap through her. Finally, guessing the band ready for action, he communicates an ideal date to commit robbery. On the scheduled day, the police await them and they are arrested. Later in the police station, Rosinsky (the top cop in the bank's district) reveals to Max that he wants all collaborators brought to justice, including Lily. Distraught, Max tries to save her and ends up threatening Rosinsky. In an argument, Max pulls out his gun and kills him.^[4]

Cast

Michel Piccoli as Max
Romy Schneider as Lily
Georges Wilson as Chief Inspector
Bernard Fresson as Abel Maresco
François Périer as Rosinsky
Boby Lapointe as P'tit Lu
Michel Creton as Robert Saidani
Henri-Jacques Huet as Dromadaire
Jacques Canselier as Jean-Jean
Alain Grellier as Guy Laronget
Maurice Auzel as Tony
Philippe Léotard as Losfeld
Robert Favart as Loiselle
Dominique Zardi as Baraduch
Albert Augier as a client of Lily
Betty Beckers as Maria

U.S. release

The film had its belated U.S. theatrical premiere in New York in August 2012.^[1]^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Scott, A. O. (9 August 2012). "Claude Sautet's 'Max et les Ferrailleurs'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b Foundas, Scott (10 January 2013). "French Crime Master Claude Sautet's 1971 Film Max and the Junkmen Finally Arrives in L.A." LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ "Max And The Junkmen". Cleveland Institute of Art. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ "Max and the Junkmen Review". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.