La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 15, 2026

Jose Giovanni's "Hit Man" a.k.a. "La Scoumoune" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Simon Abrams, and remastered international trailer. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Borgo

It is a good idea to see Jose Giovanni’s La Scoumoune a.k.a. Hit Man after Jean Becker’s A Man Named Rocca. Both films work with original material penned by Giovanni. In both films, Jean-Paul Belmondo plays the loyal friend of a man who is framed by criminal elements and thrown in prison. However, for Hit Man, Giovanni added several substantial adjustments to the original material, which he claimed made his film more accurate and superior. Giovanni’s claim is unsubstantiated. Hit Man has a superior cast and does some things differently, but it is not the better film.

In Hit Man, Belmondo is Roberto Borgo, a veteran freelancing hit man who is busy making ends meet in the shadiest areas of Marseilles. During a deadly gang rivalry, Borgo’s good friend Xavier Saratov (Michel Constantin) attempts to carve a niche for himself and instantly becomes a target. Shortly after, while Borgo finishes a risky job, Saratov is framed for a murder he has nothing to do with and sent to a hard labor prison near the Spanish border. Following an urgent meeting with Saratov’s beautiful sister, Georgia (Claudia Cardinale), Borgo begins working on a strategy to free his friend.

But instead of freeing his friend, Borgo fails miserably and reunites with him in the same prison, where the two slowly begin to realize that Lady Luck is not on their side. As WWII comes to an end, the French government begins using ‘volunteers’ from its prison system to deactivate the many mines and bombs the Germans have left behind, and Borgo and Saratov enlist, hoping to have their sentences terminated. At the beaches of Normandy, both manage to stay alive, but Xavier loses an arm.

After they are released from prison, Borgo and Xavier reenter the underworld and, while using some old and trusted contacts, begin establishing themselves as legitimate businessmen. However, Lady Luck once again reminds them she is not willing to work with them.

Apparently, in Hit Man, some characters are inspired by real people Giovanni knew well or interacted with, and several events they participate in are replicas of real ones. Like Borgo and Saratov, Giovanni spent a substantial amount of time in prison, but while there, Lady Luck became one of his biggest friends. (Giovanni received the death penalty and entered prison in 1945, but his sentence was commuted, and he was released in 1956. Just a few years later, Giovanni became one of the hottest writers in France).

Unfortunately, while a rather enjoyable film, Hit Man looks more like a mosaic of random events rather than a proper reconstruction of a great story about two loyal friends who have chosen to spend their lives on the wrong side of the law. The middle part, which is the biggest, where Borgo improvises alone and extorts the criminals, is especially unconvincing.

Constantin, not Belmondo, looks the best. A most reliable character actor, Constantin easily convinces that his character can survive on the streets with a gun in his hand. Belmondo frequently fires his gun, but looks more like a flashy macho gangster. In one of the funniest segments, he guns down several black Americans trying to take over his brothel.

Giovanni used the services of cinematographer Andreas Winding, whose credits include such vastly superior films as Jacques Tati’s masterpiece PlayTime and Henri Georges-Clouzot’s scandalous transgresisve mind-bender Woman in Chains.

La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hit Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces a recent 4K restoration of Hit Man, sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration was completed at the French lab VDM on behalf of StudioCanal.

VDM is responsible for some of the most problematic restorations of French color films. Recently, the lab's output has slightly improved, but its color grading work remains unconvincing. The 4K restoration of Hit Man is full of inconsistencies as well. The most significant ones are byproducts of newly introduced turquoise, affecting the saturation levels of several supporting nuances. As a result, various images display anomalies like the ones seen here and here. (For reference, identical anomalies are present on VDM's new 4K restoration of Girls). Fortunately, the period cinematography of Hit Man tends to mask or hide most of the color anomalies rather well. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to excellent. In a couple of segments, there are obvious density fluctuations, but they are not associated with poor digital work. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks spotless as well. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

It instantly becomes obvious that the lossless track is fully restored. After the prostitute's murder, there are far more intense shootouts producing even greater dynamic contrasts. All exchanges are very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. The English translation is good. However, the English subtitles are too small. I would have liked to see standard English subtitles, like the ones Indicator/Powerhouse Films, Eureka Entertainment, and Criterion provide.

La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by author and critic Simon Abrams. The commentator rightfully addresses the versatile French title of Jose Giovanni's film, which translated into English can also be linked to its main character's relationship with Lady Luck. Joe Giovanni's association with Hit Man and A Man Named Rocca, Jean-Paul Belmondo's transformation, and the narrative construction.

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered international trailer for Hit Man. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

La Scoumoune Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not the supposedly improved material that makes Hit Man, a loose remake of A Man Named Rocca, worth seeing. It is its superior cast. However, I do not think that Hit Man turned out as Jose Giovanni frequently described it. While not without flaws, A Man Named Rocca is unquestionably the better film. For my money, the biggest improvement in Hit Man is Michel Constantin's transformation into Jean-Paul Belmondo's closest pal, who is unjustly sent to rot in a prison somewhere near the Spanish border. Kino Lorber's release presents a new 4K restoration of Hit Man that should have been more convincing, but it will remain its final makeover. RECOMMENDED.