Deadfall (1968)

Director: Bryan Forbes

Starring: Michael Caine, Giovanna Ralli, Eric Portman

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Michael Caine plunges into the world of the adulterous... the treacherous... and the perverse!

Plot: Cat burglar Henry Clarke and his accomplices the Moreaus attempt to steal diamonds from the chateau of millionaire Salinas.

My rating? 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.


Whatever you do, don't read the plot synopsis on Netflix 'cause they spoil the shit out of it. I'm just now reading it and I'm stunned that's the one they ran with. I've been a huge fan of composer John Barry since the mid-70s. I used to listen to my parent's record of GOLDFINGER (1964) ad nauseum. My soundtrack collecting days were not far ahead of me at that point but it wasn't until about 1989 when a new found soundtrack collector friend had me listen to Barry's score for DEADFALL. WOW! His guitar concerto written for the most crucial scene in the film blew me away. Great stuff. It's amazing that it took another twenty years before I finally watched the damn thing.

John Barry...music badass!

That scene I mentioned was for the big robbery Caine and the old man pull off. Their heist is inter cut with the concert the owners are attending. The music builds a lot of tension and the entire sequence is remarkably done. The guitar soloist, btw, is Renata Tarrago.


I digs me some Michael Caine and I think this is the first picture I've seen of his that I don't want to see again. It's a very long and drab two hours and the big twist, while an interesting development in the story, isn't the game changer they'd like you to think it'd be. Even for '68 it couldn't have been THAT insane, could it? The performances are fine, the music's great but when it came down to it, I really didn't care much about the characters. I'll stick to the soundtrack instead.