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The Professional

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The Professional

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Also known as Professionnel, Le Professionnel

1981 film by Georges Lautner

Film · TMDB

7.2

Josselin Beaumont, a French secret agent, is tasked with assassinating Njala, the president for life of Malawi in Africa. A shift in French policy means that assassinating Njala is no longer an option. But instead of recalling their agent, high-ranking officials deliberately sacrifice Beaumont by handing him over to the Malawian authorities. Arrested, tried, and imprisoned, he nevertheless manages to escape. Back in Paris after a two-year absence, he informs his superiors through Colonel Martin that he will fulfill his contract during Njala’s upcoming official visit to Paris between the 12th and 15th of this month, and that he has a few scores to settle with the D.G.S.E. The question is, should Beaumont be stopped or not?

Released: 1981-10-21108 minDir: Georges LautnerAction, Adventure, Thriller

Cast

  • Jean-Paul Belmondo as Commandant Joss Beaumont
  • Robert Hossein as Commissaire Rosen
  • Elisabeth Margoni as Jeanne Baumont, épouse de Joss
  • Jean-Louis Richard as Colonel Martin
  • Jean Desailly as Ministre
  • Michel Beaune as Capitaine Édouard Valeras

Themes

  • prison
  • sniper
  • homeless person
  • husband wife relationship
  • paris, france
  • africa
  • intelligence
  • secret agent
  • prison escape
  • love

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Ratings

IMDb

7.4/10

19,219 votes

Year
1981
Runtime
108 min
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama

via IMDb

Key facts

Directed by
Georges Lautner
Screenplay by
Michel Audiard Georges Lautner Jacques Audiard
Based on
Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal , 1976 novel, by Patrick Alexander
Produced by
Alain Belmondo
Starring
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Cinematography
Henri Decaë
Edited by
Michelle David
Music by
Ennio Morricone
Production company
Les Films Ariane
Distributed by
Gaumont Distribution
Release date
21 October 1981 ( 1981-10-21 )
Running time
109 minutes
Country
France
Language
French
Budget
$3.5 million
Box office
$63.4 million

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Duration
108
FilmAffinity ID
859130
Show 3 more facts
publication date
1982-01-08
title
Le Professionnel
Commons category
Le Professionnel
Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~7 min read

Article

The Professional (original title: Le Professionnel; French pronunciation: [lə pʁɔfɛsjɔˈnɛl]) is a 1981 French action thriller film directed by Georges Lautner. The film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as the title role. The film is based on the award-winning 1976 novel Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal by Patrick Alexander.

The film was a commercial success upon its theatrical release and was the fourth most watched feature film in France in 1981 behind La Chèvre, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Fox and the Hound, selling 5,243,559 tickets.

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