Le Deuxième souffle (Second Breath) (1966)

100% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
92% of users liked it
(647 ratings)

Veteran gangster Gustave (Lino Ventura) escapes from prison to find his sister is being blackmailed by some petty thugs in this crime thriller. He plans one last caper to steal enough money in hopes of retiring to a tropical paradise. He and his gang are sought by a detective (Paul Meurisse), the… More Veteran gangster Gustave (Lino Ventura) escapes from prison to find his sister is being blackmailed by some petty thugs in this crime thriller. He plans one last caper to steal enough money in hopes of retiring to a tropical paradise. He and his gang are sought by a detective (Paul Meurisse), the cop who plays by the book and avoids the sadistic torture practiced by his less-honorable cohorts. Soon Gustave is caught between the police and the double-crossing gangsters and discovers too late that there is no honor among thieves. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Jean-Pierre Melville
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Nov 1, 1966 Wide
On DVD: Oct 7, 2008

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
It isn't an easy film to watch, perhaps because it moves so deliberately in comparison to its American models, but this somber, repressive, and perverse work displays a ferocious moral and formal integrity.
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com
superbly restrained
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
Le Deuxieme Souffle is at heart a romantic fantasy of underworld loyalty and lives of calculated risk and violence anchored by brilliantly staged and shot set pieces...
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Le Deuxieme Souffle may be second-tier Melville, but in terms of noir, that still makes it virtually second to none.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Characteristic of Melville's crime canon, the film's rigorously mannered aesthetic creates a decidedly artificial environment, and yet that environment is so meticulously, thoroughly realized that it's breathtakingly immersive.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
The product of a director in complete control of his talents, Second Breath musters enough depth that by its conclusion it feels only nominally like a heist film.
, Time Out
A labyrinthine exploration of loyalties and betrayals in the French underworld.
, Film4
It's a long film which stretches its premise over 150 minutes, but a rewarding experinece nonetheless.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It is a violent film shot with calm detachment.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

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… More
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.
Stella D

this is just the kind of stuff i love. melville's earlier films are more gritty and realistic than the highly stylized stuff he made later and this was made one year before le samourai. and it may be the best melville i've seen yet. i know a 2 1/2 hour long heist film… More
this is just the kind of stuff i love. melville's earlier films are more gritty and realistic than the highly stylized stuff he made later and this was made one year before le samourai. and it may be the best melville i've seen yet. i know a 2 1/2 hour long heist film doesn't do it for everyone but this is outstanding and criminally underseen judging by flixster ratings. one of the few french films to really rival the classic american films in this genre
Eric B

Well worth seeing, but overlong. And the directing style is so dry and flat -- scarcely even any score to enliven the action -- that it further aggravates the viewer's impatience. I prefer a few other Melville films (Le Doulos, Le Samourai, Le Cercle Rouge) over this one.
Walter M

In "Le Deuxieme Souffle," Inspector Blot(Paul Meurisse) is in disbelief that nobody claims to have seen anything at a shooting at a Paris restaurant that left one dead. Truth be told, they did and they also know that it involved a conflict centered around the cigarette… More
In "Le Deuxieme Souffle," Inspector Blot(Paul Meurisse) is in disbelief that nobody claims to have seen anything at a shooting at a Paris restaurant that left one dead. Truth be told, they did and they also know that it involved a conflict centered around the cigarette racket. Afterwards, Manouche(Christine Fabrega) is escorted home by her bodyguard Alban(Michel Constantin) but they are ambushed by a couple of thugs, seeking to cash in. Things might have turned out worse had her brother Gu(Lino Ventura) not chosen that moment to return to Paris after having escaped from prison. Manouche wants to hide him but he wants to leave the country instead and needs money to do so. "Le Deuxieme Souffle" is a stylish and moody crime drama that starts with an astouding and wordless opening five minutes. After that the movie slows down and does suffer from a couple of contrivances concerning Gu's movements.(It's always possible that he heard rumors around prison concerning the attack on the restaurant and the platinum robbery and chose that moment to escape but it is not very likely.) This is still a complex movie set in an underworld where life is cheap and honor is the only true thing of value. What is important is who you can trust in such circumstances.