Le Doulos (1963)

95% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(2,322 ratings)

Confusion and wrong assumptions are the cause of tragedy in this stylish gangster noir by director Jean-Pierre Melville. Maurice (Serge Reggiani) and Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo) are friends going way back, and both have had a shady past. Silien wants to leave his illegal activities behind him -- but… More Confusion and wrong assumptions are the cause of tragedy in this stylish gangster noir by director Jean-Pierre Melville. Maurice (Serge Reggiani) and Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo) are friends going way back, and both have had a shady past. Silien wants to leave his illegal activities behind him -- but would he actually be in league with the police, as an informer? That is what Maurice suspects after he kills a fence who is responsible for the murder of one of his friends and then takes some jewels as an extra bonus. Doubts assail Maurice as well as others until it is finally decided that something has to be done about Silien. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Jean-Pierre Melville
Written By: Jean-Pierre Melville
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Mar 2, 1962 Wide
On DVD: Oct 7, 2008
Studio: Rialto Pictures

Critic Reviews

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
As good as Melville's setups are, the joys of the movie keep returning to Belmondo, then and now the king of effortless cool.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A tour de force.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Even back in 1962, Melville made the usual suspects feel new by wrapping them in gorgeous desolation.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
A cool, classy treat.
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
A slippery, gripping cops-and-robbers thriller, full of twists and turns and ending with a tragicomic shootout you'll never forget.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Mr. Belmondo, as usual, maintains a sinister air, but it has no particular meaning, beyond showing that a crook is a crook is a crook.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Le Doulos proves it: No one rocks the trenchcoat and fedora (or beats a snitching woman cuffed to a radiator) quite like Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Le Doulos roots itself in traditional noir themes of providence, of loyalty and betrayal, of male codes of honor, and ultimately of man's inability to escape his lot in life.
Josh Larsen, Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
The macho criminal underworld of French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville has a nasty, nearly misogynistic edge here...
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
Even if you're not a fan of this sort of narrative trickery, it must be said that Le Doulos is simply a hell of a thriller ...
William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The movie is a tough, stylish, deliciously complex labyrinth of underworld double-crosses that, like most of the other Melville noirs, ultimately celebrates honor among thieves.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Melville is a mythmaker. His characters are archetypes of the cinema, specifically American cinema, though his outlook is unmistakably French, tinged with romanticism.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Few films have focused so intently on proper underworld etiquette.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Terrific 'stylized' French noir! (Does anyone else think that Serge Reggiani looks like Mr. Bean?)
danny d

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… More
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.
Stella D

a fantastic heist film and the best melville i've seen to date. it's right up there with rififi and the asphalt jungle in my book. jean paul belmondo is tres cool and i never could tell which way it would turn. in beautiful black & white, simply stunning
Stephen M

This brilliant French film noir is one of Jean-Pierre Melville's explorations of underworld codes of honour. A disorientating examination of duplicity and false appearances, the relationships of the characters are never quite what they seem. This is exemplified by Jean-Paul… More
This brilliant French film noir is one of Jean-Pierre Melville's explorations of underworld codes of honour. A disorientating examination of duplicity and false appearances, the relationships of the characters are never quite what they seem. This is exemplified by Jean-Paul Belmondo's Silien, who is dazzlingly transformed from one of the most devious, double-crossing villains of the entire film noir genre into one of its most selfless heroes, simply by Melville's clever elucidation of the true nature of the betrayal. My only criticism of the movie is that, because we find out so late in the day of Silien's struggle to reconcile his twin loyalties--to a police detective and an underworld associate: his two best friends--a fascinating aspect of the plot is downplayed in favour of the stunning but shallow twist aforementioned. Beautifully shot in black and white. As ever with Melville, don't expect a happy ending.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Le Doulos", Maurice Faugel(Serge Reggiani) is just out of jail after five years and wastes no time getting reacquainted with his old criminal life by paying a visit to an old friend and becoming involved in a house burglary. But somebody ratted him… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Le Doulos", Maurice Faugel(Serge Reggiani) is just out of jail after five years and wastes no time getting reacquainted with his old criminal life by paying a visit to an old friend and becoming involved in a house burglary. But somebody ratted him out to the police, leaving his partner and a detective dead, and him with a bullet in his shoulder. Maurice's list of suspects starts and ends with one name - Silien(Jean-Paul Belmondo).[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Le Doulos" is a hard-boiled noir, atmospheric with all the right touches including a good cast, memorable characters and a cool jazz score. The movie is concerned with there possibly being honor amongst thieves(and a unique sense of justice) but trust is quite another matter. All of which is partially undone by writer-director Jean-Pierre Melville not playing fair with the audience in order to create a little mystery that is very tidily wrapped up before ending with a nice little kicker. The movie would have been better served had it been told exclusively from Maurice's point of view.[/font]
Ed Fucking H

An excellent Film Noir of the Gangster persuasion from France by Jean-Pierre Melville. An incredibly layered and complex crime story, where nothing is as it seems and no one is to be trusted. You don't even really know who you should be rooting for throughout the movie, though… More
An excellent Film Noir of the Gangster persuasion from France by Jean-Pierre Melville. An incredibly layered and complex crime story, where nothing is as it seems and no one is to be trusted. You don't even really know who you should be rooting for throughout the movie, though you might think you do. This was the first film of Melville's that I have seen and I will look forward to seeing more in the future. The influence that Melville had on French cinema in particular and crime films at large is clearly apparent here. Almost 50 years old and most current film makers still can't come close to the complexity and suspense on display here. A must see!