 DVD
30 Second Bottom Line: A classic French film-noir shot in the 1950's, Bob Le Flambeur is the story of a compulsive gambler, an ex-gangster in the twilight of his career, and flat out of luck. With all his dough just about gone he reverts to his criminal ways and plans the biggest heist ever-robbing the casino at Deauville. The cops are tipped off. Is Bob going to spend his final years up the river?
Story Line: Magnificently shot in black and white, Bob Le Flambeur offers a slick, seductive, nonchalant view of the underworld of Paris. Bob exists in a world of gambling dens and nightclubs; with friends who are either prostitutes or rather harmless criminals; none of who are out before dusk. Bob has style, and an air of grandness about him. He's well respected not only by his fellow hoods, but by the police lieutenant as well, whose life he once saved. Bob did his time in prison, years ago, and has kept clean ever since, making his money through gambling. As of late, his gaming skills may not be enough to stay afloat. He is in fact, just about flat broke.
He befriends a teenage prostitute, the delectable Anne (Isabelle Corey) and offers her a room in his home to help her out. Bob with his
grand style lives in an artist's studio with a breathtaking view of Montmartre. No typical seedy gangster, Melville depicts Bob as an artist of sorts, living a life with style and grace. In addition to helping out young prostitutes, Bob also takes on a young protégé, Paulo (Daniel Cauchy), the son of a former partner in crime. Paulo instantly falls madly in love with Anne and brings her to his home to live.
Bob meanwhile, is playing cards, betting the horses, as well as gaming at the casino in Deauville. The financial pressures are building, as his luck seems to disappear. With the help of a croupier in the casino, a friend of Bob's partner, he can't resist hatching a plot to rob the casino of $3 million.
Back in Monmartre Bob and his pals fine-tune their plans. Paulo, among others is brought onto the team and eventually brags about the money he'll make from this heist to his girlfriend Anne. She inadvertently shares that information with a pimp who, in return for staying out of the slammer, owes the cops some good street information. He squeals on Bob and his gang, and the cops stake out the casino on the given night. Bob arrives hours before to make sure it's all going to go right and can't resist gambling. On this night his luck has changed - he can't lose and ultimately cleans out the casino, legitimately.
When his gang arrives, the police ambush them and Paulo ends up dead. As the cops take Bob (with all his money) away, he remarks about how being able to afford the best attorney, he not only will not serve time, but he will probably have a good case to sue for damages.
Tell Me More About It: There is a strong, appealing American flavor to Bob, from his name, to his car (a Plymouth convertible), to his gangster clothing. This film in fact seems to be a homage to the American gangster movie, done with humor and wit, and we of course root for Bob. He's too cool and wise to get caught and spend the rest of his life in jail.
These street characters are also attractive hoods. The young prostitute Anne is sweet, beautiful, and naïve, as is her lover Paulo. In fact, the only dark character in the film is Marc, the pimp who squeals to the police.
Melville was passionate about America, and, like Bob, drove around Paris in a big American convertible. Having penned the story, Melville perhaps gives us a self-portrait as the high style, charming streetwise Bob. With this film Melville introduced the allure of low-life culture inspiring the street life films of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, and is often labeled the father of the French New Wave Cinema.
Originally Melville wrote the story as a technical heist film, but after seeing Huston's Asphalt Jungle, he switched the plot to a light-hearted romp through the underworld of Paris.
This film has hardly been shown in the US. When first released in the `50's it played briefly on 42nd Street in New York, but was not fully released in the States until 1982 under the name "Fever Heat." This 2002 re-release has a new high-quality 35mm print, along with new slicker subtitles. It's clearly a must see for devotees of classic film noirs-and has to be the most delightful film noir you will ever see.
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