director 03: melville films

easily one of the most gripping and fulfilling films i have ever seen. the film has enough twists to fill a lifetime, shifting the direction of the characters so often to keep one glued to the story but no too often so as to confuse. a perfect blend of mystery and suspense with noir like lighting and style. one of the best crime dramas ever produced.

melville and delon come together again for a gripping tale of intrigue. one of melvilles best films, this story grabbed me from the first moment as we see the stories of two criminals side by side until a fateful moment when their paths collide in the red circle. the heist scene is paced for real time and is executed brilliantly, the side stories involving the mob are interesting and placed well into the story, and the cat and mouse between the theives and the police is mapped out perfectly. the absense of music through most of the film created a reality that set in, and the camera shot and angle choices specifically stood out. brilliant film.

another genius film directed by melville. the cast, camera work, and script were near perfect and the story was inventive and compelling. i was ready to give this a perfect score and declare it one of my favorite films of all time until an unfortunate final 5 minutes of the film that completely spit in the face of logic and common sense, but when an entire film is near flawless and the climax doesnt work out well the film still deserves respect. despite the empty ending this is a wonderful and excellent film.

this is definitely one of those hiest films that needs to be seen more than once. the film bears the usual complexity of a melville creation, but with sometimes the lack of clarity of the few films he made that rank slightly higher than this one. the only downside to the film is the early overuse of the macguffin tactic, but overall the final 90 minutes of the film come together impressively to create the brilliance of a film i know i will rewatch many times. the hiest sequence was among the best in film history, and with some slight choice differences early on this film could have flirted with masterpiece status.

melville blends his usual style with a gripping crime story that tracks every detail as parts of the story unfold in almost real time. the only drawback might be the films accessability as it is so intelligently written and filmed that one might have to be almost too smart to track along the way, but those that follow the story will be drawn in. phenomenal film.

an interesting story about a hitman in paris. the stoic nature of the film was well crafted and the actors were great. a film limited on diologue, the movement of the main character and the intrigue into his actions drives the film. a true classic, this film doesnt grab me after two viewings like it does most, but it is still a great film that is the definition of the stylized approach of one of my favorite directors in history. while down the list a little for me this is often considered by many to be melvilles best film.

a great depiction of french resistance, melville blends substance with his usual stylistic approach. the film falters at many points with a lack of clarity and direction to the shifty plot, and the film is almost entirely without emotion, but it has striking images and flawless direction in its portrayal of horrific events. overall very good film.

far from being one of melvilles better films, the film suffers from intolerable characters and a dull and pointless story through 3/4 of the film. thankfully melville did a lot with a little, redeeming the otherwise dull story with an interesting and tragic final act. the technical points also save the film with great direction, interesting camera angles, and great lighting choices, especially in the gallery scenes. overall somewhat disappointing but still very worthwhile, especially for melville fans.