Le Doulos

A somewhat decent Melville noir, if only people hadn't talked so much. The film is at its best when the characters are keeping silent, that's when the atmosphere takes over and Melville's moody black and white cinematography is allowed to shine. That's only a relatively small part of the film though.

Faugel is just out of prison when she's already scheming a new heist. He asks his friend Silien for help, well aware that Silien has a reputation for ratting on his accomplices. Faugel's heist goes awry, and his girlfriend is found dead in a ditch. Faugel suspect Silien is behind all this.

The story isn't all that interesting, neither is the dialogue between the characters. It's a common problem with noirs, certainly the longer ones. The cinematography is nice though and the score, while not exceptional, does its part. The potential is clear, the overall execution flawed.