I... comme Icare (1979)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Henri Verneuil

Writers:

Didier Decoin (writer)
Henri Verneuil (writer)

Release Date:

19 December 1979 (France)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

After the recently re-elected President of a fictitious state has been assassinated, one of the members...

Plot Keywords:

Conspiracy | Secret Service | Kennedy Assassination | Psychological Experiment | Witness

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Yves Montand	...	Le procureur Henri Volney
Michel Albertini	...	Luigi Lacosta
Roland Amstutz	...	Gregory
Jean-Pierre Bagot	...	Michaël Mix
Georges Beller	...	Sam Kido
Maurice Bénichou	...	Robert Sanio, l'homme à la caméra
Edmond Bernard	...	Le présentateur TV
Françoise Bette	...	Mme Bellony
Roland Blanche	...	Garcia Santos
Benoît Brione	...	Le reporter Bobino (as Benoist Brione)
Jacques Bryland	...	Nicolas Rosenko
Gabriel Cattand	...	Le président Marc Jarry
Nanette Corey
Jacques Denis	...	Despaul
Erick Desmarestz	...	Bob Dagan

Also Known As:

I as in Icarus (International: English title)
I for Icarus (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

Germany:120 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Cergy, Val-d'Oise, France

Company:

Antenne-2

Trivia:

Transposition of the Kennedy assassination and ensuing inquiry.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The amateur video sold to Procureur Henry Volney was shot using at least 2 cameras : one for the wide shot of the car in the crowd, and one for a closer shot, at a different angle, of the president being killed.

A brilliant, unique thriller about assassination and manipulation

First time I saw this movie was in the eighties, but reviewed now this thriller is still actual. Some newer movies focus on similar topics, but they do not match this french milestone.

A president - obviously JF Kennedy - gets shot in an open car during a public appearance. The resulting huge investigation finds the "Lee Harvey Oswald" figure of this movie guilty, but one member of the jury insists in further inquiry. He reveals some surprising evidence ...

Unlike Oliver Stone's JFK - a movie with the same plot - this one does not play with emotions, but concentrates in a exciting description of a conspiracy and how everything fits together, drawing a new picture of the assassination. Even a real psychological experiment is used for this explanation of the crime scene. Compared to JFK this movie is more reasonable, intelligent and thrilling. Parts of the plot can be found in a lot of newer movies, I had a kind of deja vu sometimes sitting in the cinema.

"I... comme Icare" is a "must see". Its unique and brilliant, and the music by Ennio Morricone is wonderful. This movie deserves a very good ranking, if it was a Hollywood production it would be famous for sure.