The Big Picture Magazine
Monsieur Klein is an art dealer living on the Left Bank in Paris, on Rue de Bac. Played by Alain Delon, with his good looks, refined clothes, stern haircut and minimal mimic, he looks at ease and undisturbed in his generous apartment, lavishly decorated in rich colours and trimmed with paintings. Dressed in a luxurious […]
A bleak, dark detective story that taps into noir, Claude Sautet’s Max et les ferrailleurs (1971) is more than a “policier” film. It draws two fine character studies: Michel Piccoli’s Max, a former judge converted into a cop, and Romy Schneider’s Lily, a prostitute linked to a gang of hard-luck, two-time crooks whom Max wants […]
“When an author becomes an adjective, it means that he’s entered a higher category. We say ‘Melvillian’ in the same way that we say ‘Fellinian’ or ‘Hitchcockian’” – Philippe Labro Throughout his career, Jean-Pierre Melville retained a passion for all things American – and especially for the classic Hollywood gangster and noir movies. He eagerly […]
Style. This is a key argument in Le Samouraï. We are first introduced to Jef Costello, the main character, in his austere, dark, bare room. Fully dressed, he is lying stiffly on the bed and starts puffing on a cigarette. After a while, he gets up and, before going out, puts on his trench coat and fedora […]