Le Doulos The Finger Man - Film May 9, 2009

Le Doulos The Finger Man - Film by Jean Pierre Melville. Made at pretty much the halfway point between Melvilles Bob le Flambeur (1955) and Le Samourai (1967), Le Doulos contains elements of both. Belmondo plays Silien, a man thought by some to be a police informer. ('Doulos' means informer or Finger Man, which is the title in English.) Reggiani plays Maurice, who has just gotten out of prison and is getting involved with another robbery attempt. His friend Silien offers to help, and the film revolves around the tension over whether Silien is an informant or not. Its another exploration by Melville of the grey area between those who enforce the law and those who break it, of the uneasy yet powerful relationships that can develop between people on 'opposite' sides of the line. Belmondo and Reggiani are both excellent. The black and white photography by Nicholas Hayer - who also did Cocteaus Orphe and Clouzots Le Corbeau - is superb, from the wonderfully atmospheric opening sequence (Melville may be THE master of opening sequences) to the stunning, Cocteaulike shot of a man staring into a mirror that closes the film. The plot line gets a bit complicated at times, with rival gangs, a previous jewel heist, murder, betrayals, love affairs, etc. Hard to follow.This is to say, its a classic example of film noir. And the jazzy soundtrack by Paul Misraki heightens the cool, noirish sensibility of the film. Whatever, his failings as a director, Melville definitely knew how to create a great atmosphere. Le Doulos is definitely worth checking out, especially by fans of film noir, Melville or Belmondo.

Official Website: http://www.buzzintown.com/?103471&ref=yupg&refcity=14