In terms of release dates this was the sandwich filling between the bread of Rififi and Le Cercle Rouge and it's difficult to choose between the three and luckily not necessary because all three are now available on DVD. Just to read the names of the three leads is sufficient to activate the salivary glands and once they appear they don't disappoint. As he would in Le Cercle Rouge the next year Delon gets the ball rolling by being sprung from prison to the chagrin of cop Lino Ventura (Bourvil would be the cop after Delon in Le Cercle Rouge) and the satisfaction of Vittoria Manalese (Gabin) who is after Delon's input on a major heist he has in mind. The heist itself is fairly spectacular given that the ice in question is in the hold of a transatlantic airliner en route from Paris to New York. The heist itself goes like clockwork but not, alas, the happily-ever-after element which goes pear-shaped within days. A great movie that holds up remarkably well (as do Rififi and Le Cercle Rouge).
Review of The Sicilian Clan
