Sunday, August 28, 2011

LE DOULOS (French) (1962)

‘One must choose: die… or lie?’

One of the most exploding French noir and arguably one of the best Jean Pierre Melville film with mind-blowing double cross, multiple characters and their inscrutable and double face personas. So many intriguing things happen on screen in the first forty five minutes. We’re introduced to multiple characters, their double faces, lies and than we witness murder, burglary, an informer calling from public booth, shoot out on street and smart police interrogation blackmailing the key suspects. For the next hour, Melville kept us engaged and hooked to the screen with unimaginable twists and turns in company of French matinee idol Jean Pierre Belmondo and he’s playing real smart ass to watch by all means. Till its striking climax and the last frame the film keeps us hooked to thrill.

Melville brilliantly played game with the audience with shifting the narration between two lead players and by cleverly hiding the other side of the plot, characters and their motives. Melville films are technically flawless and distinctively stylistic and surely this one is no exception. B&W camera work, taut editing and that highlight single shot where camera panned up to 360 degree are just classic.

Ratings-8.5/10

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