Went and saw Le Doulos (1962) last night--one of Melville's finest film-noirs. I was thoroughly impressed: the black and white cinematography, the fog and shadows, the costumes, and smokey bars all contributed to a dark but engrossing mis-en-scène. The serpentine plot (mixed in with intense sixties-style gangster slang) challanged my ability to compeletly follow what was happening, but the film managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. I attribute that in large part to Jean Paul Belmondo's masterful approach to his character, the ambiguous, creepy, but oh-so-smooth Silien. On the other hand, the relentless action doesn't let you lose interest; something new and important is always unfolding. Although, you don't necessarily know where the action is all leading to, for some reason you feel answers are always around the corner. In this way the audience is ensnared until the very bitter end.
The mood of the whole film is reminiscent of a relentless nightmare: just as in a bad dream, fate seems to be in control of its damned actors. Even as Silien offers the only "positive" conclusion to the film with his last spoken words, "In this business, you either die with nothing or you get out early with a little something in your pocket," you know its not possible. Something still has to go wrong.
Le Doulos has easily slipped into one of my favorite noirs, and gangster/ crime sagas.
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