Arsène Lupin joue et perd

Arsene Lupin, the wild and elusive gentleman burglar, has been portrayed by many actors - mostly French - but my favorite is Jean-Claude Brialy (this review is of the 1980 adaptation of "813" available on MHZ which offers other versions of Arsene Lupin starring assorted actors). My husband and I enjoyed the beautiful 6-episode story of "813" based on the novel by Maurice Leblanc. Here, France's favorite fictional criminal gets blamed for a triple murder committed at a swank Parisian hotel. To clear his name (which is quite atrocious), Arsene goes on a long series of misadventures - matching wits with shadowy figures, devising switcheroos, leaping over walls, falling off bridges, changing his appearance, teasing the police - and more. The only problem with this stunning display is that it was so puzzling that we just had to read the book which is even more intricate for Arsene who reaches a pinnacle of ego and grandiose plans for himself, for others, and for - gasp - the world! If you like 007, you may also like Arsene Lupin.