Death of a Corrupt Man

Xavier Maréchal, a businessman with ties to political circles, is pulled into a crisis when his old friend Philippe Dubaye, a member of the National Assembly, confesses to killing Serrano, a corrupt figure who had been blackmailing him with a notebook full of damaging material on prominent people. Xavier agrees to help and takes possession of the documents, but the death is only the beginning of his troubles. The police question Dubaye's account, and a range of interested parties, including politicians, businessmen and intermediaries, set out to obtain the notebook by whatever means necessary. Xavier is left to navigate the mounting pressure largely on his own.

The film is a French crime thriller directed by Georges Lautner, who wrote the screenplay with Michel Audiard. It was Alain Delon's own production, and Delon plays Xavier opposite Ornella Muti, Stéphane Audran, Jean Bouise, Mireille Darc and Michel Aumont. It came in 1977, between Lautner's Crooks in Clover and Le Guignolo, and is based on a novel by Raf Vallet. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.8 from roughly 3,100 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.5 from about 112 votes, indicating a solid but modest reception from audiences.