Jean-Pierre Melville directs Alain Delon, Andre Bourvil and Gian Maria Volonté in this heist thriller where a just released convict, a man of the run and an alcoholic marksman join forces for a big score.

Moment by moment this is a top end crime thriller. The characters are a little too drawn in bold to care about and the obtuse first hour often leaves you lost rather than involved. That is on purpose. This is blunt cinematic storytelling with very little exposition or excess dialogue. The eventual heist is wordless, you have been given no real advance clues of the plan. It is a little too easy to drift away from the film when you are not sure of the stakes or destination. All in all though a solid noir mood piece.

7

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