When a Montmartre gambler (Roger Duchesne) runs out of luck, he prepares to hit a casino together with a team.

Jean-Pierre Melville’s breakthrough is seen as a precursor to the French New Wave, with its subtle ingredients that point in that direction, including genuine Paris locations and a handheld camera. Inspired by American film noir, it’s a portrait of an aging gentleman thief who respects the ladies, but is surrounded by less refined, less honorable men.

Slow, but Duchesne is fine as the gambler and Isabelle Corey, a model whom Melville discovered for this film, is also worth a look.

1956-France. 102 min. B/W. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Melville, Auguste Le Breton. Cinematography: Henri Decaë. Cast: Roger Duchesne (Bob Montagné), Isabelle Corey (Anne), Daniel Cauchy (Paolo), Guy Decomble, André Garet, Gérard Buhr. Narrated by Jean-Pierre Melville. 

Trivia: Remade in Britain as The Good Thief (2002).