UW Cinematheque - Jean-Pierre Melville Crime Film Masterworks

This playful, romantic casino caper flick was the first in a series of stylish films noir made by French director Melville in tribute to the classic American genre of the ’40s and ’50s. Here, the primary influence is clearly Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle, as Bob, an old gambler and gangster strapped for cash, assembles a team of professional hoods to rob a well-guarded casino.