Mesrine was the foremost criminal, public enemy N°1, the man most wanted in France, guilty of 39 crimes. "In the police or newspaper history, Mesrine broke all records". The film begins with his escape on May 8, 1978. Mesrine was the only man to escape from La Santé. We relive the 18 crazy months he spent on the run and his encounter with Sylvia who is swept into his madness.
Acting
Nicolas Silberg's smirking menace predates Vincent Cassel's version by decades.
Direction
Génovès captures Mesrine's chaos without glorifying it — mostly.
Production
Shot in actual 1978 locations while memories were fresh.
Director
André Génovès
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mesrine was France's most famous criminal since Bonaparte — his prison break made him a folk hero to some, terrorist to others.
Director Génovès filmed at La Santé mere months after Mesrine's actual 1978 escape, with guards still embarrassed.
FR
