Le Doulos

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (1962)

As a self-proclaimed noir enthusiast it is a wonder it took this black-cinema buff this long to get his first taste of Jean-Pierre Melville. His razor sharp direction, mixed with superb black and white photography gives this film a stylish noir finish. It's all here: trench coats, fedoras, cigarettes, double-crosses, gangsters, stolen jewels, shadows, botched plans, and a murder or two (actually the body count is more like 9!).

But the film is not all style and no substance. It is also a French New Wave picture, exploring the thematic elements of loyalty and betrayal among men. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo (Breathless, A Woman is a Woman), a new wave icon.

The twisted plot leaves the viewer guessing the character's motives throughout the picture, adding suspense and reasons to watch on. You are unaware of who the actual protagonist of the picture is until the late stages of the film. There are plenty of plot twists and lots of suspense, right up to the climax of the film.

This is a must for any noir fan, or new wave fan for that matter.