I watched this film for the first time quite recently on France's TV Monde and found it exhilarating, years ahead of its time, and like Rififi something of a precursor in terms of heist movies. Roger Duchesne has a commanding presence -- and performance to boot -- as Bob the gambler but he is more than ably accompanied by the rest of the cast. This stylish, inveterate yet principled gambler has no luck at cards or, for that matter, at love but he cares for others and enjoys the admiration of the local top cop who really tries to prevent him coming to harm. When Lady Fortune finally smiles upon Bob it also makes him late for the heist, an event that precipitates the ending. This storyline is deceptively simple as there is much to enjoy in the building of the characters that surround him. The direction by Melville (who only added forenames Jean-Pierre later] is as impeccable as you will find and the photography quite stunning despite some amateurish touches. My feeling is that if you care for movies you should not miss this.
Review of Bob the Gambler
