almost perfect, but apparently it was censored

The biggest and longest plot in the history of the World, but Melville pulls it off neatly enough. Especially the investigator is a nice dude. As is (Dr.) Alban. lol.

Even after his time in jail, Gu has a fantastic reputation in the underworld, but soon he has to start "using it up". In the 2½ hour DVD cut of this, the first hour is plodding. It's a big step up from Bob le Flambeur; better plot, dialogue, characters and actors, but there's still too much static. The next evolutionary step would be Army of Shadows (also with the great Lino Ventura and Paul Meurisse), but first Melville had to make Le Samourai where he practiced parsimony and focus.

#900

Lino Ventura makes one amazing gangster. He's got the look, the style, the talk, all down perfectly, and his performance, combined with Melville's usual craftsmanship make for an exciting film.

The compositions are striking throughout, but the plotting leaves something to be desired. Certain points are exciting, but the downtime in between is a lot of fussing about. Some of it is necessary to propel the story, but so much of it is done in a really dull fashion. The first hour especially is a real chore. The rest is an improvement, but never really takes off. A film with some fine qualities, particularly if you're fond of that fatalistic French gangster style, but needs some trimming.

928

Nobody made crime films like Melville, and by this time his trademark methodical style was in full effect. The plot is pretty complicated, and it took me a while to get a grasp on it all, but the film is fairly long and has time to flesh out. Despite Melville's cold style, the film's length, and it's lack of truly sympathetic characters, it remains captivating throughout.

Gu is one unstoppable motherfucker. No matter how many sticky situations he gets into, he always manages to find a way out. This may be the most restrained movie of Melville's I've yet seen, due to the lack of conventional tension and the unsympathetic nature of all the characters involved, but the plot is compelling to the point that my interest never wavered. Melville's style is in full effect, with some especially nice B&W photography, which is both graceful and hard-edged.

872

# 974