''L'Alpagueur'' (aka ''The Hunter Will Get You'') is a film written and directed by

Philippe Labro Philippe Labro (27 August 1936 – 4 June 2025) was a French author, journalist, and film director. He worked for RTL, ''Paris Match'', TF1, and Antenne 2. He received the Prix Interallié for his autobiography ''L'Étudiant étranger'' in 198 ...

and starring

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

in the title role and

Bruno Cremer Bruno Jean Marie Cremer (6 October 1929 – 7 August 2010) was a French actor best known for portraying Jules Maigret on French television, from 1991 to 2005. Origins Bruno Cremer was born in Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, in the eastern suburb ...

as ''L'Epervier''. Released in 1976 and considered as a typical French thriller from the 1970s, it is one of many Belmondo's movie where he is playing the title role. Like in ''

Le Magnifique ''Le Magnifique'' (literally ''The Magnificent''; also known as ''The Man from Acapulco'') is a 1973 spy comedy, a French/Italian international co-production, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset and Vittorio Caprioli that was directe ...

'', '' L'Incorrigible'' or '' Le Marginal'', Belmondo is the real star of the show, playing a solitary character and pursuing bad guys. The score from

Michel Colombier Michel Colombier (23 May 1939 – 14 November 2004) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor. Career Colombier wrote the scores of several motion pictures and TV productions. He also wrote chamber music and ballets. With composer Pierre ...

is typical from this period, mixing piano, modern rhythms and brass instruments.

Plot

As one of the character is saying at the beginning of the movie: ''L'alpagueur c'est un chasseur de tête, c'est un mercenaire, un marginal. L'alpagueur c'est l'astuce qu'a trouvé un haut fonctionnaire pour passer au-dessus de la routine policière.'' The alpagueur is a head hunter, a mercenary, a marginal. The alpagueur is a trick made up by a state employee to be above the cop's routine. Originally a deer hunter, l'Alpagueur became a head hunter working for the police, paid by them with money stolen from criminals. The main plot revolves around l'Alpagueur's pursuit of l'Épervier, (

Sparrowhawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the subfamily Accipitrinae The Accipitrinae are the Family (biology), subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks. The subfamily contains 73 s ...

) a bank robber and an assassin, who kills whoever sees him commit a crime. His technique is to pay a young and naive man to be his accomplice and kill him right after. One of his accomplices, Costa Valdez, is only wounded during one of his hold ups, and with his help, l'Alpagueur manages to find l'Épervier at the end.

Cast

– Roger Pilard aka "l'Alpagueur" *

– Gilbert aka "L'Epervier" * – Granier * – Costa Valdes *

Jean Négroni Jean Négroni (4 December 1920 – 28 May 2005) was a French actor and theatre director particularly known for his voice work, such as his role as the narrator in '' La Jetée'' (1962). Biography Jean Négroni was educated in theater by Albert C ...

– Spitzer * – Inspector Doumecq * Jean-Pierre Jorris – Salicetti

Reception

The film was the 19th highest earning film of the year in France with 1,533,183 admissions.

References

External links

*
''L'Alpagueur''
at Le Film Guide {{DEFAULTSORT:Alpagueur, L' 1970s action thriller films 1970s crime action films 1976 crime thriller films French crime action films French action thriller films French crime thriller films 1976 films 1970s French-language films 1970s French films