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The Brain

The Brain (Le Cerveau)

Movie · 1969 · 5 people

Gérard Oury's 1969 heist comedy The Brain (Le Cerveau in French), a French-Italian production, invents a fictional sequel to England's real Great Train Robbery of 1963. It was made possible by the success of Oury's earlier hit La Grande Vadrouille and gathered the largest budget in French cinema of its day. It drew more than five million viewers in France, though it fell short of its predecessors.

As NATO moves its headquarters from Paris to Brussels, the alliance's funds travel by train, attracting several rival gangs unaware of one another. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil play two small-time French crooks. David Niven plays a British Army officer who hides his identity, the criminal genius nicknamed the Brain, and Eli Wallach is a Sicilian mafioso. All race for the same money. Silvia Monti, Dominique Zardi and Henri Attal are also in the cast.

Shooting was delayed by the events of May 1968 and took place in France, England, the United States and Italy. The liner France at Le Havre and a 13.5-metre replica of the Statue of Liberty mark the film. The score is by Georges Delerue, and Gaumont, Dino De Laurentiis's company and Paramount Pictures co-produced it.

DirectorGérard Oury
Production companyGaumont Yapımevi

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Cast

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Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Belmondo Film actor · died at 88 Dominique Zardi Actor · died at 79 Henri Attal Henri Attal Actor · died at 67 Rémy Julienne Rémy Julienne Actor · died at 90 Robert Dalban Robert Dalban Actor · died at 83

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Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

The Brain is a fun heist comedy the family can watch together. The two small-time crooks played by Belmondo and Bourvil chase the same money as rival gangs who know nothing of each other. That race can make grown-ups and children laugh alike. It is about a robbery, but its mood is playful. Since it is a French film, younger kids may struggle to keep up with subtitles, so a dubbed copy will make things easier if you can find one.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

The Brain is a comedy that feeds on the realities of its day. It takes the real Great Train Robbery of 1963 in England as its starting point and imagines a fictional follow-up, with NATO moving its headquarters from Paris to Brussels as the backdrop. One of the most serious institutions of Cold War Europe thus becomes the scenery for a heist comedy. The shoot being delayed by the events of May 1968 is a reminder of how turbulent the France it was made in really was. A British officer, a Sicilian mafioso and two French crooks play with Europe's national types. That it drew more than five million viewers in France and still fell short of its predecessors is an interesting note on audience expectations of the time.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

On paper it is great: NATO money moving by train, rival gangs who don't know about each other, Belmondo, David Niven and Eli Wallach. But this is not a thriller, it is a comedy first and foremost; you watch the gags rather than feel the risk of the heist. If you want real danger and a tight pace, it may feel too relaxed. Still, the liner France at Le Havre and a 13.5-metre Statue of Liberty replica let you feel that this was the biggest-budget French film of its day.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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