or Second Wind
starring Lino Ventura
directed by Jean Pierre Melville
150 minutes
Gustave "Gu" Minda (Lino Ventura) escapes from prison and makes his way back to Paris. He considers trying to get even with Jo Ricci, a gangster who sent a couple thugs to lean on Manouche, Gustave's girlfriend. He kills the thugs and dumps the bodies but ultimately decides not to go after Jo.
Gu and Manouche get out of Paris and move to Marseille. They make plans to leave France but Gu is short on funds. Orloff, an underworld type who is helping them get forged documents, tips Gu off to a heist that is in the planning. Gu takes the job which is being organized by Paul Ricci, Jo's brother. Manouche moves back to Paris and waits for Gu to let her know that the coast is clear.
Gu, Paul, and two other men rob an armored car of about 1 million French Francs worth of platinum. They kill the two policemen escorting the armored vehicle. They then part ways after the heaist but Gu has to hang loose for a couple months while Paul unloads the platinum and gets him his cut of the money. Gu doesn't lay low enough. He is spotted and captured by someone who claims to have known one of the guys with whom Gu escaped from prison. The man turns out to be a policeman and Gu is tricked into giving away information about the heist.
Gu is arrested by the police. Things go from bad to worse for him when a story appears in the press that he informed on Paul Ricci. He is determined to clear his name. He escapes from the police and seeks to just that with deadly consequence for himself and others.
I watched the Criterion Collection DVD which I borrowed from the library via inter-library loan. It included about 35 minutes of interviews, all in French with English subtitles, with the director, star, and a writer who worked with the director.
This movie breaks down, from my perspective into five segments of differing lengths: the escape, return to Paris, move to Marseille, the heist, aftermath of the heist. Some of these segments could probably be broken down further but that's where I have decided to leave it.
The money that the platinum was supposed to be worth would have been the equivalent of $180K, in 1966.
I was very impressed by this movie. The lead actor did a great job and the cinematography was really good. There were a number of scenes that went on for minutes without anyone talking. I love that about this film. Overall this is a big recommend from me with the understanding that it may not speak to everyone as much as it did to me.
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