French Film Noir: Le Doulos by Jean-Pierre Melville (1962)

Belmondo and Reggiani

This is a classic French crime flick, and while it is clearly set in France, it is clearly a homage to American gangster films from way back.  The title of the film translates as "The Hat" which is a term in French underworld slang which means "The informer".     In the opening to the film one of the main characters in the film, Maurice Faugel (Serge Reggiani) walks through a bleak industrial landscape under shadowy railroad viaducts and arrives at a lonely house where upstairs is Gilbert, an older man  at a desk working to separate the jewels from their settings, as the fences will not accept the two together. 

Gilbert and Maurice

He seems to take a friendly interest in Maurice which makes what happens next all the more shocking.  He turns around from his labors and is promptly shot dead by Maurice.    Maurice takes the gun, the money, and the jewels Gilbert was working on and buries them near a lamppost in a park that night.  These events are just the first of many plot twists that for clarification one must wait a while.  

The women do not fare well in this tale.  The blonde, Fabienne, is slapped around and tied up by Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and ends with half a bottle of whiskey poured on her head.    The other one, the Brunette, Anita, is the possession of a well heeled owner of the Cotton Club and yearns to move on as Silien endeavors daringly to get her back.   The police detectives are almost on a first name basis with the criminals, hauling them in for a friendly chat from time to

Police detectives

time.    Maurice, just trying to pursue his trade, plans another heist at a rich man's home but things go wrong, someone tipped off the police,  and he ends up shooting one of the policemen while leaving his comrade dead on the pavement.  He strongly suspects Silien and wants him dead. 

Fabienne and Silien

I don't want to spoil the film so I will leave it at that.  One must, in watching this film be content with not understanding at first the motivations of the protagonists.  The payoff is at the end, to which the Hays office would not have objected.  

As with all film noir, the lighting is stark with profiles and shadows galore.  Atmosphere is all, with rainstorms, shadows and mist.  It is a great film.