Melville's final film, and the poster which is on the wall of the cops' office in Engrenages, another supercool, sparse, tightly-wound thriller, opening with a sensational bank robbery in the seaside rain (Saint-Jean-de-Monts). Walter Wottitz (also L'Armée des Ombres) strips the colour out of everything. There's a striking silent heist scene, slightly undermined by almost Wes Anderson-ish model work involving train and helicopter.
Alain Delon is the morally ambiguous Paris Flic; equally ambivalent is the murderer-lover Catherine Deneuve; not sure what Richard Crenna is doing in a French movie but he's absolutely right, as is fellow American Michael Conrad - inspired casting.
Melville clearly placed great importance on the sound as it's one of his opening credits (Jean Nény); equally important is Patricia Nény's editing of Melville's exceptional mise-en-scene e.g. opening robbery, train stakeout and moment of the three at the bar. Minimalist music also by Michel Colombier is another contributor to a moody, twilit Paris.
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