Armaguedon (1977)
One of the many thrillers Alain Delon made during the 1970s. Still, this film, based on a novel by David Lippincott, is well worth watching.
Delon also acted as producer, moving the action from the United States to France. He left the direction and screenplay to Alain Jessua, with whom he also made the films Traitement de Shock (1973) and Les Chiens (1979).
Jean Yanne stars as Louis Carrier, a lonely middle-aged man who, after the unexpected death of his brother, receives an inheritance that enables him to carry out his master plan: to scare society by promising terror.
Carrier is accompanied by a mentally handicapped man named Albert (Renato Salvatori), whom he makes fun of by calling him Einstein, and whom he can easily subdue with his superior yet sadistic intellect.
Delon gave himself the role of psychologist Ambrose, who is hired by the police to make contact with Carrier in order to prevent a major attack.
The story is well constructed, the cat and mouse game between Carrier and Ambrose is carefully worked out, and the at times gloomy atmosphere is also well captured.
Good movie, that deserves to be plucked from obscurity.
Oene Kummer