This black-and-white crime movie about a heist on a casino is one of the great classics : well-directed, well-written and well-acted. Jean Gabin and Alain Delon pretty much steal the show.
In a certain sense Delon - even more than Gabin - gives a double performance, as a young and ambitious criminal AND as the rich "fils-à-papa" persona adopted by the criminal. As an inhabitant of a neighbouring country I can assure you that the type is known here too and that it is still going strong. Nowadays we've even got new subspecies, such as the "fils-à-maman" or the "fille-à-maman". They're all so obnoxious one could be forgiven for wishing for a comet to wipe out human life...
(Note the satirical barbs, such as the comment that a wealthy and pampered young man, when introduced to his hotel room, should complain about some detail : it is expected and it creates a good impression.)
The movie as a whole is very watchable indeed, but it is the last quarter of an hour or so which lifts it to stellar heights, with an unbelievably suspenseful resolution set around a luxurious pool. Neither Delon nor Gabin speak a word, but this is some of the most skilled, most expressive acting I've ever seen - and the musical score is superb. It all results in a supremely satisfying and supremely ironical ending.
In a certain sense Delon - even more than Gabin - gives a double performance, as a young and ambitious criminal AND as the rich "fils-à-papa" persona adopted by the criminal. As an inhabitant of a neighbouring country I can assure you that the type is known here too and that it is still going strong. Nowadays we've even got new subspecies, such as the "fils-à-maman" or the "fille-à-maman". They're all so obnoxious one could be forgiven for wishing for a comet to wipe out human life...
(Note the satirical barbs, such as the comment that a wealthy and pampered young man, when introduced to his hotel room, should complain about some detail : it is expected and it creates a good impression.)
The movie as a whole is very watchable indeed, but it is the last quarter of an hour or so which lifts it to stellar heights, with an unbelievably suspenseful resolution set around a luxurious pool. Neither Delon nor Gabin speak a word, but this is some of the most skilled, most expressive acting I've ever seen - and the musical score is superb. It all results in a supremely satisfying and supremely ironical ending.