The Seventh Target Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Seventh Target Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 8, 2015

Claude Pinoteau's "La 7ème Cible" a.k.a. "The Seventh Target" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; filmed introduction by director Claude Pinoteau; and archival video interview with actress Élizabeth Bourgine. In French, with optional English and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"They'll ask the same questions and I'll get annoyed"

Lino Ventura made four films with director Claude Pinoteau and The Seventh Target was their final collaboration. It was also Ventura’s last big film. He passed away in 1987, exactly three years after The Seventh Target was completed.

Ventura plays an aging man, Bastien Grimaldi, who is attacked by two strangers not too far away from his cozy apartment in Paris. Soon after the attack, someone sets his car on fire and demands that he convinces his mother (Lina Volonghi) to reveal where she hides a few extremely valuable paintings. A series of bizarre events and odd discoveries then lead Bastien to Berlin, where he begins tracking a man with multiple identities.

There is an excellent buildup during the first half where Bastien attempts to figure out why he has become a target. His annoyance quickly evolves into paranoia and his search for an explanation that makes sense creates quite an atmosphere. Also, some suspicious characters emerge from the shadows and create the impression that perhaps Bastien isn’t as innocent as he appears to be.

Instead of ramping up the tension, however, the film slows down after Bastien is led to believe that his troubles might have been orchestrated by a man with a membership in an upscale golf club in Scotland. There are a few interesting twists that follow, but the energy and atmosphere from the first half gradually disappear. Then by the time he arrives in Berlin and visits his daughter who is getting ready to perform with the local symphony orchestra, it feels like his relationship with his family and the women in his life are far more important than the man from the golf club.

The evolving nature of the story isn’t a weakness, but anyone expecting The Seventh Target to be a traditional crime thriller will likely be slightly underwhelmed. Indeed, Pinoteau gives Ventura’s character plenty of time to make the type of mistakes an ordinary man of his age would rather than impress with the wit and unusual skills Sean Connery’s Robert MacDougal possesses in Entrapment. This, however, is what keeps the film firmly grounded in reality and at end makes the resolution more believable.

The performances are wonderful, but this is hardly surprising as the cast is outstanding. Ventura easily switches between being a father and an angry man who does not understand why his life has suddenly become so unbearably chaotic. All of his reactions, even the most intense ones, look very natural. Jean Poiret is a likable drunkard who is stuck in a less than perfect relationship with a retired singer played wonderfully by Lea Massari. Jean-Pierre Bacri also leaves a memorable impression as the naive inspector Esperanza.

The Seventh Target was lensed by cinematographer Edmond Sechan, who is probably best known for his collaborations with Pinoteau on two of his biggest hits, La Boum (The Party) and La Boum 2, and Albert Lamorisse on the beautiful Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon).

The film’s elegant orchestral score was created by the great Romanian composer Vladimir Cosma (Yves Robert's Pardon Mon Affaire, Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva).

The Seventh Target Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Claude Pinoteau's The Seventh Target arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont.

Excluding color balance, the basics we typically address in our reviews are very solid. Indeed, detail and clarity are very good while fluidity remains pleasing throughout the entire film. The well-lit close-ups, in particular, look wonderful, but even some of the darker nighttime footage is quite impressive (see screencapture #2). Grain is evenly distributed and beautifully resolved, but this is hardly surprising considering the fact that the release is sourced from a very recent 2K master. Colors are stable and lush, but, in my opinion, the current color scheme is a bit too warm. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are absolutely no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or stains to report in our review. All in all, though not perfect, this is a a very solid technical presentation of The Seventh Target. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Seventh Target 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 and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Vladimir Cosma's elegant score benefits the most from the lossless treatment, but there are a few action sequences that get notable boost as well. The chase and the explosion, for instance, impress with very good clarity and depth. The dialog is exceptionally clean, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report in our review. The English translation is excellent.

The Seventh Target Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bande-anonce - restored original trailer for The Seventh Target. In French, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Presentation du film pat Claude Pinoteau - filmed introduction by director Claude Pinoteau. In French, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Fille(s) de Lino: Entretien avec Elisabeth Bourgine - presented here is a video interview with actress Élizabeth Bourgine (Laura). In French, not subtitled. (13 min).

The Seventh Target Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Seventh Target was the fourth and final film Lino Ventura made with director Claude Pinoteau. Ventura plays a retired journalist whose life suddenly spins out of control when a mysterious man demands that he convinces his mother to reveal where she hides a few extremely valuable paintings. The film is very well acted, but I think that it would appeal only to admirers of the late Italian actor. Gaumont's Blu-ray release is Region-Free and English-friendly and therefore it is extremely easy to recommend. If you decide to order a copy for your collection, also consider Pinoteau's very entertaining The Slap. RECOMMENDED.