French Film Collection(Film 18) BOB LE FLAMBEUR (1956)

ENGLISH HARDCODED SUBTITLES he legendary Jean-Pierre Melville didn't make very many movies, but his reputation and influence are well documented. As explained in the added features of this Criterion DVD, Bob le flambeur was made independently and piecemeal, as Melville was able to get production funding. Commercially a followup to Rififi, using the same writer to insure a release, the picture was not a big success but was forever cited as a core inspiration to the New Wave critics-turned-directors of a few years later. This tough underworld thriller is a bit more romantic than Rififi, with a hero who's a silver-haired gentleman instead of a desperate burnout case. But the locale, ambience and character nuances are French all the way. Synopsis: Paris. Bob Montagné (Roger Duchesne) is a professional gambler who's managed to stay clear of criminal activity for 20 years, after serving time for a bank job in the 30s. He plays paternalistic mentor for Paolo (Daniel Cauchy) and looks after young Anne (Isabelle Corey), a promiscuous young thing who the unscrupulous Marc (Gérard Buhr) wants to put out on the streets. Even though he's a good friend of inspector Ledru (Guy Decomble), bad gambling luck tempts him to put together a caper with the aim of knocking off a large casino in Deauville. It's a gamble few have won, and Bob seems to be doing it for almost existential reasons. Even though its modest budget shows every so often, Bob le flambeur is an engrossing crime tale set amid the French equivalent of the lowlifes who animated John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle. Ever the gentlemen, Bob is liked by the denizens of Montmartre, and the cops as well. He takes care of his own, having set up Yvonne in her bar, sheperding young Paulo away from Marc's bad ideas, and taking in sexpot Anne. He keeps a slot machine in a closet and openly admits his addiction to gambling. When we first see him, he seems to be doing well enough, but a few horseraces and baccarat tables later, he's broke and ready to break all of his own rules. Bob le flambeur is a great show for characters and atmosphere. The setting is 100% real, a collection of nightclubs and bars where a colorful bunch of criminals plot their next moves. As Bob Montagné, Roger Duchesne's looks hide his essential toughness of spirit - when he first glances into a dirty mirror and says, "The face of a hood", he doesn't have the sickly noir face we expect. In fact, if he smiled, we'd probably be reminded more of Jacques Tati than Humphrey Bogart. But Bob doesn't smile very much as he tools through the Paris streets in his Studebaker, putting together his 800 million franc heist. Officially, this is a caper film, but it's relatively unconcerned with the details. Bob has to deal with nonprofessionals who haven't his experience in crime both before and during the war - punks who talk too much and cause too much trouble. His protegé Paulo, who looks as if he could be Sean Penn's unattractive father, is as nice as a young hood could be, but because of his big mouth, twice as dangerous. Viewers looking for gallic spice will be well rewarded by Bob le flambeur, which is graced with the very commercial charms of Isabelle Corey, an underage non-actress who either does a good job of looking vacantly sensual, or is in reality not too bright. She has sex appeal though, and her brief nude bits are very attractively done. Gentleman crook Bob personally never takes advantage of her, as he's too old and too jaded to be attracted by sex. If there's a game to be played somewhere, nothing can distract him. This, and his general attitude of philosophical detachment, keeps our interest high. His observations of those around him are choice, and worthy of American hardboiled writers. They'd make good words of wisdom for filler in a Reader's Digest designed for crooks. Savant won't get into the clever windup except to say that Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round no longer seems quite as original as it once did. Bob le flambeur's great ending is more than just a twist, it's as complete a statement about this gambler hero as can be made. We seem to experience a bit of Bob's own existential detachment as we watch his dreams come true in a phenomenal winning streak. It's more than irony, it's great writing.

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bravos2u (2011-08-01)

Thanks ForceFox 4 Sharing this film !!!
...and for the subtitles !!