The Burglars Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Burglars Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 14, 2025

Henri Verneuil's "The Burglars" a.k.a. "Le Casse" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with stunt performer Remy Julienne; archival documentary on the making of the film; restoration program; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English or French, with optional English and German subtitles for the two versions of the film. Region-Free.

The crew

Henri Verneuil’s La Casse a.k.a. The Burglars came out the same year Richard Sarafian’s cult film Vanishing Point was released and became famous for the exact same reason -- it featured some really wild car racing that instantly sent action junkies to Heaven. Until the The Driver arrived a few years later, there were a lot of places in Europe where The Burglars was the gold standard for these types of genre films.

A small crew of professional thieves led by the charismatic Azad (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is in Athens, Greece, to do a big job that will allow them to retire and enjoy the rest of their lives without ever worrying about finances. On the night when they go to work, however, they nearly get caught in the act by the veteran detective Abel Zacharia (Omar Sharif). It is only after Azad does a brilliant improvisation that the thieves manage to get away with a case full of green emeralds worth one million dollars.

Before the crew can disappear without a trace, however, Zacharia tracks down Azad and demands that he cut a deal with him -- exchange the emeralds and leave Athens free, or get busted, lose the loot, and go to prison. At first, Azad assumes that he can trick Zacharia and organize a safe exit for the crew. However, when the detective mobilizes the city’s entire police force and makes it clear that Azad and his partners are bound to fail if they attempt to leave, he agrees to discuss the deal again. Then, at the right time, Azad decides to do another brilliant improvisation.

Very large parts of The Burglars look like the type of material that would have been enthusiastically endorsed by the prolific producer Harry Alan Towers (Code 7, Victim 5, Bang! Bang! You're Dead!). Indeed, the content has that heavy exotic flavor that Towers liked and made sure was present in the many action and adventure B-films that he co-wrote and produced during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. However, the quality of the content here is quite different, and the main reason for this is the fact that Verneuil was a very talented director who also had a great international cast to work with. So even though The Burglars aims to thrill with a familiar type of genre entertainment, the end result is far more convincing.

The script blends equal parts action and comedy, which allows Belmondo to be at his very best. Also, it is worth pointing out that Belmondo did many of the dangerous action sequences without the help of doubles. (For the legendary car chase across the city, Verneuil did use professionals, and it is easy to understand why. Even by contemporary standards, there are a few genuinely scary segments).

Verneuil shot virtually the entire film on location in Athens and the Port city of Piraeus with Claude-Renoir, who had already done some great work on the much darker crime thrillers Symphony for a Massacre and The Unvanquished. The lush and now instantly recognizable orchestral score was composed by the great maestro Ennio Morricone.

*Two different versions of The Burglars were available to local and international distributors, French and American/English. They were shot simultaneously, but in addition to being dubbed differently, they contain unique footage. The French version also has a slightly different ending. Some of the discrepancies are highlighted in a new featurette that is included on this Blu-ray release.

The Burglars Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Burglars arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Explosive Media.

In 2018, we reviewed this French Blu-ray release of The Burglars, which is the only other Blu-ray release of the film that I have in my library. I thought that its presentation of the film was very frustrating. It was obvious that it was sourced from a lovely master, but it was encoded in 1080/50i, rather than 1080p. I do not know why this switch was done.

Like the French release linked above, this German/Swiss release is a two-disc set that presents both versions of The Burglars, the French and American/English. However, both are encoded in 1080p, not 1080/50i. I revisited the American/English version, which is the one I have seen multiple times over the years and know well.

As I expected, the 1080p presentation of the American/English version looks noticeably better. I am unsure if our screencaptures reveal the difference, but on my system, multiple areas, and especially the ones with busy action material, looked clearer and better defined. Unsurprisingly, color reproduction and balance were identical. Image stability was the same as well. I did not see any distracting surface imperfections. Ideally, the entire film could look a little lusher and more vibrant, but I think that the current master is very strong and gives an enormously pleasing organic appearance. (Note: Both discs included with this release are Region-Free). My score is 4.25/5.00.

The Burglars Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The American/English version of The Burglars is presented with English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks, plus optional English and German subtitles. The French version of The Burglars is presented with French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks, plus optional English and German subtitles. When turned on, the subtitles appear inside the image frame.

I revisited the American/English version with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Even on the older French release of The Burglars that I have, the lossless audio sounded great, so I just needed to hear it on a proper 1080p presentation. It is exceptionally healthy, and its clarity, sharpness, and depth are great. Obviously, its dynamic strength is not going to impress folks who appreciate modern, very aggressive lossless tracks, but I still think that the action material and Ennio Morricone's score create a lot of great contrasts. This lossless track has been properly remastered.

The Burglars Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - AMERICAN/ENGLISH VERSION

• About the Two Versions of The Burglars - in this recent program, a French restoration specialist highlights and discusses some of the key differences between the two versions of The Burglars. The program was produced in 2017. In French, with optional English and German subtitles. (9 min).

• Behind the Scenes of The Burglars - an excellent archival documentary with plenty of raw footage from the shooting of The Burglars in Athens, Greece, and cast and crew interviews. In French, with optional English and German subtitles. (49 min).

• Stunt Coordinator Remy Julienne - in this recent program, stunt performer Remy Julienne recalls his work during the filming of the dangerous car chase in The Burglars. Also included is raw footage from the shooting process. The program was produced in 2017. In French, with optional English and German subtitles. (13 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - FRENCH VERSION

• Trailer One - presented here is a vintage American trailer for The Burglars. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer Two - presented here is a remastered vintage French trailer for The Burglars. In French, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Publicity Materials - presented here is a gallery of original promotional materials -- posters, lobby stills, and studio photos -- for The Burglars from around the world. With music. (4 min).

• Stills - presented here is a gallery of vintage production and behind-the-scenes black-and-white stills. With music. (3 min).

• Textless Opening - presented with music. (4 min).

The Burglars Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This really wild and very entertaining gangster film from Henri Verneuil (The Sicilian Clan) had quite the reputation back in the days because of that iconic car chase that was shot on the streets of Athens. It has been screened around the world in two versions, American/English and French, and both are now beautifully restored. Explosive Media's two-disc set, which is Region-Free, made me very happy because it brings proper presentations of these versions, as well as all bonus features from French label L'atelier d'images' two-disc set with optional English subtitles. One of these bonus features is an outstanding, nearly an hour-long, archival documentary on the making of The Burglars. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.