Movie Details
| Title: | Le Doulos | |
| Director: | Jean-Pierre Melville | |
| Year: | 1962 | |
| Genre: | Noir | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 11.11.22 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (8)
- Army of Shadows
- Bob le flambeur
- Le Cercle Rouge
- Le Deuxieme Souffle
- Les Enfants Terribles
- Un Flic
- Le Samourai
- Le Silence de la Mer
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 11.11.22 | DVD | This Screening is part of event: DVRfest 2022 Roll: 8 Spine Number: 447 So this is proof that Melville can make a movie under two hours! This is what I'd call a more typical noir which I guess stretched all the way into the 60s. I know they were making reactive noirs in the 50s as well so I'm not sure if this genre was still popular this late or if it was just Melville centering in on what would eventually become his trademark slow burn crime stuff like Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge. In any case, this plays like a classic noir with a few little touches that set it apart. There's a scene early on where the score rises with the action until Belmondo turns off the radio, making it diagetic. And there's still a very French vibe with the cigarettes and contemplative facial expressions. In one scene a character makes another character a sandwich on baguette and it looks so goddamn good... way better than the Goldfish I was munching on. But it still follows the format with trenchcoats and low key lighting and convoluted but ultimately tragic story. The movie does an interesting thing with its on-screen text at the beginning explaining the title as underground slang for "Hat" but also the man who wears it: a police informant! So right off the bat you're like ok who's the Hat? The problem being, of course, that every one wears a damn hat. So like 30 seconds in you're primed to expect this informant and that led me to expect maybe a proto-Infernal Affairs or something... but the movie knows what its doing. So... all these things are to mean that this movie is right in my wheelhouse. I liked pretty much everything about it. And while he's not wielding that pacing to expert effect like his later movies, Melville still has a strange effect where you start off thinking it's very slow and almost boring but soon enough you realize that you're completely engaged. I don't know if I'm giving Melville the benefit of the doubt because I've seen his other movies, or if it would work the same way for a newcomer... but that's how I experienced it. Ok, next. |
