7/10
thriller with a superb musical score
2 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
As a thriller "The 7th target" is watchable and enjoyable, although the intrigue was too far-fetched and over-elaborate to my taste. It is pretty logical to suppose that real-life criminals go for a more direct approach : if they want to travel from Paris to Brussels they travel from Paris to Brussels, they don't travel from Paris to Rome, from Rome to Tokyo, from Tokyo to Stockholm, from Stockholm to Washington and from Washington to Brussels. Happily there's a nice performance by lead actor Lino Ventura, which redeems a lot.

The movie, however, is most notable for its superb music by Vladimir Cosma, who wrote both a theme and a self-contained piece known as the "Berlin Concerto". The music is put to good use throughout the movie, most effectively during a marvelously choreographed car pursuit near the end. I've noticed that the "Berlin Concerto" is becoming something of a favorite during film music festivals. Possibly it will go on to live an independent life, pretty much like "the ride to Dubno" from Taras Bulba or "the war march" from Things to Come.
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