293. Bob Le Flambeur

Bob Le Flambeur
Bob The Gambler
1955
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville

I would consider myself a film buff but I know very little about the French New Wave.  This movie apparently set the tone for the entire New Wave so I was excited to watch it and start learning about the movement.  And, yes, I do realize that I sound like a huge nerd.

This movie is about Bob, who after a streak of bad luck, decides to rob someone.  Oh and, of course, there is a dame.

So, for starters, we have a likable criminal.  While we have seen this before (Pepe Le Moko, anyone?), it is still a rather original concept for the time that has now been turned into a cliche.

Other than that, there were not a whole lot of things about this film that I liked.  Although the plot sounds like it would be super exciting, the movie is surprisingly dull.  The action does pick up towards the middle but by then, I had already lost interest.

I would still recommend checking it out but this isn't exactly the best of the crime  genre.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Said to be the height of French films inspired by American film noir.

Stanley Kubrick said that he never wanted to do a crime film because Melville had already done the best with this picture.