Deux Hommes dans la Ville (Two Against the Law) (Two Men in Town) (1973)

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(518 ratings)

In this French psychological drama, a bank robber is finally released after serving 10 years. His being paroled is due to the influence of his old friend, a social worker. The ex-convict returns to his wife and begins living an honest life. Unfortunately, his old crook friends begin trying to lure… More In this French psychological drama, a bank robber is finally released after serving 10 years. His being paroled is due to the influence of his old friend, a social worker. The ex-convict returns to his wife and begins living an honest life. Unfortunately, his old crook friends begin trying to lure him back to crime. Following a prison riot, the social worker ends up living in the same town as the ex-con. They become close friends until the ex-con's wife is killed during an accident. He finds a new wife, but their happiness is marred by the cop who keeps harassing him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: José Giovanni
Written By: José Giovanni
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 25, 1973 Wide
On DVD: Aug 16, 2005

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine
Not a bad finale for one of French cinema's oddest couples. But what Jean-Pierre Melville might have done with these guys!
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine
A rather unremarkable societal indictment.

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Walter M

In "Two Men in Town," Germain(Jean Gabin), an educator who volunteers for the parole board in a prison, puts his reputation on the line in writing when he states that Gino Strabliggi(Alain Delon, who also produced) is reformed after ten years in prison and deserves to be… More
In "Two Men in Town," Germain(Jean Gabin), an educator who volunteers for the parole board in a prison, puts his reputation on the line in writing when he states that Gino Strabliggi(Alain Delon, who also produced) is reformed after ten years in prison and deserves to be released two years early. Over strenuous objections, he gets his wish and Gino is as good as his word, as he is reunited with his dutiful wife Sophie(Ilaria Occhini) and gets a job as a printer. Even when his old cohort Marcel(Victor Lanoux) comes to pay a visit, he is not even tempted. Things do not go as well for Germain as he stops working at the prison after a prisoner's suicide and riot and moves to Montpelier to work with delinquents. "Two Men in Town" has some important things to advocate on the subject of prisoners deserving humane treatment, reform, not punishment, and the benefit of the doubt, no matter what they may have done in the past. All of which is too touchy a subject for any politician to take up as a cause. Otherwise, the movie is fairly routine but does play with a genre convention or two. Most of its allure comes from the movie's star power, especially an early confrontational scene between Alain Delon and Gerard Depardieu, that in retrospect could be seen as something of a changing of the guard.