"René la Canne" was the second collaboration between Francis Girod and Ennio Morricone, coming after "Le Trio Infernal" (1974) and before "La Banquière" (1980). His film is an adaptation of a story by Roger Borniche about the gangster René Girier and relates the fantastic adventures of a flamboyant mobster (René/Gérard Depardieu) and a maverick police inspector (Fernand la Sournoise/Michel Piccoli), through the 1940s.

Two members of the French Academy agree to help the attractive young veterinarian Esther investigate the suspicious death of her sister. Esther is convinced her brother-in-law is responsible, but soon it becomes apparent that those responsible are linked to the very highest echelons of power in the Vatican.

Dr. Brézé and his sons, all surgeons with limited abilities fight any competition on their sector with all means.

The preparation, in Hungary, of the assassination in Marseilles of King Alexander of Yugoslavia in 1934.

故事发生于1933年的柏林，著名歌唱家艾尔莎（罗密·施奈德 Romy Schneider 饰）的丈夫麦克（赫尔穆特·格里姆 Helmut Griem 饰）遭到了德军的逮捕，为了将丈夫救出来，艾尔莎带着收养的弃婴马克思（Wendelin Werner 饰）来到了巴黎。
艾尔莎想尽了一切办法救麦克，为此甚至不惜将自己的身体献给了邪恶的纳粹，最终，艾尔莎受尽侮辱终于如愿以偿。可就在麦克出狱后没多久，夫妻两人就被德军双双杀死，这一切都被马克思看在眼里。幸运的马克思死里逃生，并且在半个世纪之后找到了当年杀死他养父母的凶手，最终报了仇。可是即便如此，马克思和他之后的妻子莉娜（罗密·施奈德 Romy Schneider 饰）亦难逃前人的命运。