Caravan to Vaccares

Underwhelmed is the word that most comes to mind when I think of “Alistair MacLean’s Caravan to Vaccares” and it’s hard to put a finger on which element is most to blame. There is certainly plenty of action with the hero (known only as Bowman) racing around battling all manner of baddies and a very beautiful Charlotte Rampling as the leading lady. But other than these elements it is ultimately forgettable.

The movie does start off rather slow, we are introduced to one of the chief villains who, forces a gypsy caravan off the road in an attempt to abduct the gypsies passenger (a defecting scientist). Before he can execute the kidnapping our hero happens along with Rampling (playing a photographer with an interest in gypsy culture) in tow. Of course our hero prevents the villain from executing his plan.

It seems that Bowman has been hired by the Duc de Croyter (played by the normally excellent Michael Lonsdale) to spirit the aforementioned defector to the United States. Croyter has used the gypsies for the purposes of his strategy since they are allowed to travel across national borders with little hindrance.

I’m not sure particularly why they chose to, but for some unknown reason they felt the need to dub Lonsdale. The movie was released in 1974, the year after Lonsdale had appeared in Frederick Forsyth’s “Day of the Jackal”, so it’s clear that Lonsdale had no issue with English, but here we are presented with a voice that is clearly not his own and a pretty languid voice at that.

The music doesn’t do the movie any favors either. I cannot remember a single note of the tunes, only thinking that it seemed totally inappropriate and horribly limp. It’s such a shame and is, without a doubt, my least favorite MacLean adaptation (even worse than the likes of “Bear Island” and “Fear is the Key”). A great deal of blame must fall with director Geoffrey Reeve who fails on almost all levels.

As I mentioned there is no shortage of action, Bowman engages in fisticuffs with several villainous types, is chased by goons on horseback, chases around a French city trying to catch up with a fleeing collaborator, hangs from a helicopter and ultimately faces off with a bull, but it’s all pretty limp in its execution.

OFFICIAL SYNOPOSIS

American Neil Bowman is traveling through France when he meets British photographer Lila. They are hired by French land owner Duc de Croyter to escort a Hungarian scientist to New York. But they soon realize that the job is not a cushy number, and have to deal with a gang of kidnappers who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the scientist.

CAST

David Birney		as Bowman
Charlotte Rampling		as Lila
Michael Lonsdale		as Duc de Croyter
Marcel Bozzuffi		as Czerda
Michael Bryant		as Zuger
Serge Marquand		as Ferenc
Marianne Eggerickx		as Cecile
Françoise Brion		as Stella
Vania Vilers		as Vania
Manitas De Plata		asRicardo
Jean-Pierre Cargol		as Jules

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY:

Competent Cast deliver A good action adventure

By VARIETY STAFF

There’s good, reliable stuff in this Alistair MacLean action-adventure item, colorfully location-set in Southern France’s Camargue area and well acted by a carefully chosen Franco-British cast.

Plot basics involve the attempt to smuggle an East European scientist out of France and into the US, attempt which is hampered by repeated harassment and kidnappings by a scrupleless rival gang bent on gleaning the fugitive’s secrets for resale to the highest bidder.

Principally involved are a footloose young American (David Birney), hired by a French Duke (Michel Lonsdale) to whisk the scientist onto a US-bound plane, and a pretty young British photographer (Charlotte Rampling) who gets involved when she hitches a ride with Birney.

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