Third, last and least of three consecutive films from writer/director Jean-Pierre Melville and Jean-Paul Belmondo (after LÉON MORIN, PRÊTRE/’61; LE DOULOS/’62) still a considerable achievement.* Adapted from a typically character-driven Georges Simenon novel, Melville uses twin prologues to contrast young Belmondo’s failed boxer joining up with elderly Charles Vanel’s amoral money manipulator banker as traveling assistant. Fleeing France in a hurry, they land in New York where Vanel empties his security deposit box at one bank, but finds paper securities stuck at another. Then, it’s all North-to-South Road Pic with Belmondo steadily chipping away at Vanel’s authority. And it’s this power struggle arc that interests Simenon; Melville more concerned with the series of encounters & incidents along the way in a race to reach a country without a French extradition treaty. Neither man much concerned with the outcome once they dead-end in New Orleans. Some of Melville’s Americans have that ‘Made-in-France’ affect, and a few studio sets (all shot in France) show Melville’s usual lack of concern about production polish. But with Henri Decal on camera and a Georges Delerue score, Melville largely hides his tight budget, holding fast to his basic idea of an opportunistic Belmondo along for the ride. The film becoming more compelling by the mile.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Of the three films, LEON MORIN, PRIEST is the masterpiece. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2012/10/leon-morin-pretre-leon-morin-priest-1961.html https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2009/05/le-doulos-1962.html
