Le Magnifique
Encyclopedia
Le Magnifique is a French movie
released in 1973
, starring Jacqueline Bisset
and Jean-Paul Belmondo
.
Le Magnifique is a slapstick spoof of B-series espionage movies and novels.
type writer of pulp espionage novels (he has written 42 so far) and about half of the film plays in his imagination, where he is the world-renowned superspy "Bob Sinclar" (The name of the character is never seen written in the movie, while some people write his name "Saint-Clar" the way it is pronounced in French sounds like Sinclar.) Christine (Jacqueline Bisset) is a sociology student who lives in Merlin's building and is interested in the novels, but in the writer's imagination she becomes Tatiana, his paramour, while the pompous and rich publisher of his novels, Pierre Charron (Vittorio Caprioli
), doubles as the great villain of the spy novels, the Albanian secret services head Karpov, who in a memorable scene of the film threatens to cut off one of Tatiana's breasts. Christine is clearly fascinated with the handsome spy Bob Sinclar, an unrealistic and idealized hero, who is the very opposite of his creator: a clumsy, frustrated man who barely makes enough money to get by. However, when she is befriended by the rich and vain publisher who looks down upon his poor hack writer, she realises her mistake, and after a party where he tries to seduce her, she flees him and falls asleep on the landing outside the writer's flat, where he finds her in the morning, clad apparently only in a T-shirt and embraces her for a happy ending. In the final scene, Merlin throws over the balcony his last manuscript, freeing himself from his character and his imaginated life.
, Le Magnifique was titled "How to Destroy the Reputation of the Greatest Secret Agent", and was released as the B-Movie
to the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze
in 1975.
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
released in 1973
1973 in film
The year 1973 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. Blakely would later marry actor/singer Frank Sinatra....
, starring Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
and Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
.
Le Magnifique is a slapstick spoof of B-series espionage movies and novels.
Synopsis
François Merlin (Belmondo) is a Jean BruceJean Bruce
Jean Bruce born Jean Brochet on 22 March 1921 was a prolific French popular writer who died in 26 March 1963 in a car accident. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Alexandre, Jean Alexandre Brochet, Jean-Martin Rouan, and Joyce Lindsay....
type writer of pulp espionage novels (he has written 42 so far) and about half of the film plays in his imagination, where he is the world-renowned superspy "Bob Sinclar" (The name of the character is never seen written in the movie, while some people write his name "Saint-Clar" the way it is pronounced in French sounds like Sinclar.) Christine (Jacqueline Bisset) is a sociology student who lives in Merlin's building and is interested in the novels, but in the writer's imagination she becomes Tatiana, his paramour, while the pompous and rich publisher of his novels, Pierre Charron (Vittorio Caprioli
Vittorio Caprioli
Vittorio Caprioli was an Italian film actor, director and screenwriter. He appeared in 109 films between 1946 and 1990...
), doubles as the great villain of the spy novels, the Albanian secret services head Karpov, who in a memorable scene of the film threatens to cut off one of Tatiana's breasts. Christine is clearly fascinated with the handsome spy Bob Sinclar, an unrealistic and idealized hero, who is the very opposite of his creator: a clumsy, frustrated man who barely makes enough money to get by. However, when she is befriended by the rich and vain publisher who looks down upon his poor hack writer, she realises her mistake, and after a party where he tries to seduce her, she flees him and falls asleep on the landing outside the writer's flat, where he finds her in the morning, clad apparently only in a T-shirt and embraces her for a happy ending. In the final scene, Merlin throws over the balcony his last manuscript, freeing himself from his character and his imaginated life.
UK Release
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Le Magnifique was titled "How to Destroy the Reputation of the Greatest Secret Agent", and was released as the B-Movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
to the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze is a 1975 camp action film starring Ron Ely as pulp hero Doc Savage. This was the last film completed by pioneering science-fiction producer George Pal.- Plot :...
in 1975.