Caravan To Vaccares (1974)

An American (David Birney) is traveling in France when he picks up a hitchhiker (Charlotte Rampling). He is on his way to meet a French land owner (Michael Lonsdale) who has a job for him. That job turns out to be very dangerous and he may not get out alive. Based on the novel by Alistair MacLean and directed by Geoffrey Reeve. In the 1960s and 70s, MacLean was a best selling author (GUNS OF NAVARONE, WHERE EAGLES DARE, ICE STATION ZEBRA) and it was practically de rigeur to have a movie made from his books. I've never read any of them myself so I'll assume they were well written but if this film is any indication, the book was a potboiler. It's the kind of film where we're always one step ahead of the characters and we're always screaming at them ("Don't go with him! He's one of them!") but everyone is incompetent, even the bad guys. This is the kind of film that needs a star in the central role, not the cipher of a generic TV leading man like David Birney. Despite being top billed, Charlotte Rampling is overqualified (not to mention wasted) as the "girl", whose sole purpose seems to be around to be saved. Cinematographer Fred Tammes makes good use of the Provence, France locations. With Marcel Bozzuffi, Michael Bryant and Serge Marquand.