Doulos, Le

Aroview: Eschewing the French New Wave movement in favour of homage to the then ‘passe’ genre of film noir, dir. Jean-Pierre Melville adds shades of moral grey, shiny Citroens, and masculine motifs that would help make the genre his own.

The essence of underworld cool with regulation hat, coat and cigarette, Jean Paul Belmondo stars as a police informer with a violent streak and a wavering loyalty than informs both a complex plot and its key theme of ‘honour among thieves’. Adapted from the once-famous ‘serie noire’ crime series, this has typical ‘policier’ plot exposition, but keeps a few surprises in reserve.

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