Jacques Mesrine (; 28 December 1936 – 2 November 1979) was a
French criminal. He was responsible for numerous murders,
bank robberies,
burglaries, and
kidnappings in France and
Canada. Mesrine repeatedly escaped from prison and made international headlines during a final period as a fugitive when his exploits included trying to kidnap the judge who had previously sentenced him. An aptitude for disguise earned him the moniker "The Man of a Thousand Faces" and enabled him to remain at large while receiving massive publicity as a wanted man. Mesrine was widely seen as an anti-establishment 'Robin Hood' figure. In keeping with his charismatic image, he was rarely without a glamorous female companion. A
pair of films which came out in
2008 were based on Mesrine's life.