Watch The Great Riviera Bank Robbery For Free

Thanks for the memories!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

I saw this film on TV under the title SEWERS OF GOLD. It's a British heist movie based on a true story about a gang of fascists who decide to rob a safety deposit vault in Nice by accessing it through the local sewer system. The story had already been adapted as PARADISE but this British version is well worth a watch, riding high in a mini-wave of similar heist pictures that came out around the same time (A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BERKELEY SQUARE is another good one).The film was directed by the little-known Francis Megahy who would later re-team with Ian McShane for a few LOVEJOY episodes. McShane is excellent here, by the way, tough, suave, and charismatic as the leader of the robbers. Inevitably most of the running time is involved with the detail of the planning and execution of the robbery and it's a masterpiece of tension, featuring a strong cast (including a youthful Warren Clarke making an impact) and expert direction. The tension never lets up. The finale offers plenty of twists and turns which keep the viewer engaged too. I love films in this sub-genre and SEWERS OF GOLD is another highlight.

This is a nice companion piece to SEWERS OF PARADISE. It was also filmed on location in Nice, France where the actual robbery took place and, naturally, uses many of the same locations as PARADISE. I wonder how the locals liked having two films about the embarrassing robbery shooting at the exact same time? Young looking Ian McShane is the photographer/heist planner this go around. This is just as good as the aforementioned film and might be a little bit better as they delve into the political history of the group a bit more. Interestingly, both films end with a similar shot of the getaway motorcycle driving off into the distance.

This film is just perfect. Why it is not available on video is a mystery. It is a great caper film.I do not know much about the Algerian/French nonsense but the implementation of the bank robbery is done very well.The politics mean nothing. The crime is the thing.Planning the operation, getting the help, and then getting away are all you really need for a good caper film.Yeah, they get caught later but spending the cash is where they catch everyone.Damn good film.We need this available once again!

This movie was released on VHS back in the 1980's, and is very difficult to find (at least in N. America). I really hope a DVD edition comes out soon. Excellent movie! By chance, right after I saw it, The Learning Channel (TLC) aired a special called "Daring Capers: Plunder Under Nice". The movie was very accurate and realistic. It's nice to see a movie without Tom Cruise heroics. I would rate it 9-out-of-10.