A French gangster film which means it has elements of 1930s Warner Bros films plus plenty of French man love and treatment of women as madonnas or whores. The man love comes from Jean Paul Belmondo who arrives in Marseilles trying to figure out why his old partner, Pierre Vancek, is in prison. The whore is Beatrica Altariba, mistress of Vaneck's dodgy partner. The madonna is Vaneck's sister, Christina Kaufmann.
It was based on a novel by Jose Giovanni, who had a fascinating life, being imprisoned during World War Two, where he fought and also collaborated with the Nazis.
The main problem with this film is it lacks focus. You think it's going to be about Belmondo getting his mate out of prison. But he doesn't do much to get that to happen - there's no suppression of evidence, solving of the crime, convicting the real killer, prison breaks etc. He just knocks off his mate's dodgy partner and takes over his rackets. The mate goes to prison, Belmondo goes for the sister, then shoots some thugs who hassle him and winds up in prison himself.
The movie changes gears and becomes a prison film with Belmondo being a bad ass and going to work clearing land mines, resulting in some Wages of Fear style tension. His mate loses an arm, he gets out and there's a rushed feeling ending where the mate still stuffs up.
A film full of unresolved subplots (the mistress) and unsatisfactory emotion. Belmondo is charismatic, though really a bit too young for the role. Kaufman and Altariba are beautiful.
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