Le deuxième souffle (1966)
(Second Breath)
Country: FR/IT
Technical: bw 150m
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabrega, Michel Constantin
Synopsis:
Legendary criminal Gu Minda breaks out of prison and lies low in Paris before heading for Marseilles, where an old friend puts him onto a daring platinum robbery. He is pursued by the wily Inspector Blot, who tricks him into ratting on his partners.
Review:
Paintstakingly detailed 'polar' in the tradition of Bob le Flambeur. Additional layers of meaning are achieved by the ambiguity of having both crooks and police as one extended family, the one easily mistaken for the other, and of Melville's playing the whole thing like some wartime resistance movie, what with the opening escape, safe houses and interrogation sequences. There are also reminiscences of Clouzot and Cocteau in the heist scene, which is one of the best ever filmed.
(Second Breath)
Country: FR/IT
Technical: bw 150m
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabrega, Michel Constantin
Synopsis:
Legendary criminal Gu Minda breaks out of prison and lies low in Paris before heading for Marseilles, where an old friend puts him onto a daring platinum robbery. He is pursued by the wily Inspector Blot, who tricks him into ratting on his partners.
Review:
Paintstakingly detailed 'polar' in the tradition of Bob le Flambeur. Additional layers of meaning are achieved by the ambiguity of having both crooks and police as one extended family, the one easily mistaken for the other, and of Melville's playing the whole thing like some wartime resistance movie, what with the opening escape, safe houses and interrogation sequences. There are also reminiscences of Clouzot and Cocteau in the heist scene, which is one of the best ever filmed.
(Second Breath)
Country: FR/IT
Technical: bw 150m
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabrega, Michel Constantin
Synopsis:
Legendary criminal Gu Minda breaks out of prison and lies low in Paris before heading for Marseilles, where an old friend puts him onto a daring platinum robbery. He is pursued by the wily Inspector Blot, who tricks him into ratting on his partners.
Review:
Paintstakingly detailed 'polar' in the tradition of Bob le Flambeur. Additional layers of meaning are achieved by the ambiguity of having both crooks and police as one extended family, the one easily mistaken for the other, and of Melville's playing the whole thing like some wartime resistance movie, what with the opening escape, safe houses and interrogation sequences. There are also reminiscences of Clouzot and Cocteau in the heist scene, which is one of the best ever filmed.