Le Doulos

‘Le Doulos’ translates as the finger man or rat. Maurice (Serge Reggiani), a burglar who has been released after a four year stint in prison, has just cause to suspect treachery by those around him in the lead up to his capture. However, his desire for work and dwindling number of friends leave Maurice with few options but to rely on the few who remain, including his old acquaintance Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo). But can he be trusted? With Le Doulos, Jean-Pierre Melville serves up a masterpiece of film noir, the genre for which he is best remembered today. This is in no way to belittle his previous taut and captivating dramas, such as Léon Morin Prêtre or Le Silence de la mer, which are equally sublime. However, there is something about gangsters and crime which suits Melville’s visual style as much as the trench coats and hats do Jean-Paul Belmondo, who finally gets the chance here to emulate his idol Bogart in a veritable noir narrative. His performance is spell-binding, combining brutishness, charm and ambiguity with such ease and thus, he provides the perfect pivot around which the plot hinges, as Maurice must continually question whether Silien is trustworthy or a back stabber. Likewise Reggiani (Vincent, François, Paul et les autres) is ideal as the gruff criminal, hardened by years in the joint. Nicolas Hayer’s camerawork faithfully follows the classic codes, where stark lighting and disconcerting angles converge with billowing smoke and heavy rain for the gripping noir affect. Paul Misraki consummates with an unnerving score. Melville’s direction is assured and masterful, as the web of intrigue is intricately spun without time for a second breath, from start to finish. Beyond the beguiling heist sequence, Melville injects energy and bravura throughout; most notably in Belmondo’s interrogation sequence, where skilled camerawork evokes the scene’s inherent tension and play in an uninterrupted, rotating eight minute single-take. A film to watch over and over again, Le Doulos marries the insouciant rule-breaking of The New Wave with the generic brilliance of classic film noir.