BOB LE FLAMBEUR - DVD review

No one does hard-bitten romanticism like the French, and few French filmmakers are as in love with the underworld as director Jean-Pierre Melville. John Woo, one of my favorite filmmakers, constantly refers to Melville as one of his inspirations. With such seminal works as "Le Samourai" and "Bob le flambeur", Melville practically invented the French gangster film, paving the way for Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) projects like "A bout de soufflé" ("Breathless").

In "Bob le flambeur" ("Bob the High Roller" or "Bob the Gambler", depending on whom you ask), Bob (Roger Duchesne) spends his nights gambling until dawn. He is such a compulsive gambler that he even has a slot machine at home. He gives the slot machine one last pull before he goes to bed in the morning and one last pull as he leaves his apartment at night. Despite his propensity for playing the odds, Bob isn't like most other underworld figures. He has a genuine heart that leads him to care for Paulo (Daniel Cauchy) as if Paulo were his son. Bob also rescues Anne (Isabelle Corey), a teenager, from the streets. He even plays matchmaker for Paulo and Anne. (Those of your familiar with Paul Thomas Anderson's "Hard Eight" will notice that Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow play roles very much inspired by Bob, Paulo, and Anne.)

Bob's luck deserts him, however, and he and his friends devise a plan to rob the Deauville casino. The casino stores 800 million francs in its safe in anticipation of heavy business for the Grand Prix, and a successful heist would guarantee the financial comfort of Bob's crew. In order for the heist to succeed, Bob and Company must avoid diligent policemen, informers, pimps, women who blab at inopportune times, and others who want in on the 800 million take.

"Bob le flambeur" works like a charm on viewers. Despite the moody atmosphere of the film's smoky settings, the story never really approaches the bloodily melodramatic tone of true gangster movies. In fact, the action nimbly flits across the screen, seducing audiences with the seedy glamour of men-in-suits giving each other dirty looks while holding their hands of cards close to their chests. And, despite certain complications that occur midway through the movie, the planned heist still proceeds, though you'll be rather surprised by the way the script resolves characters' predicaments.

Video:
For a 46-year-old film, "Bob le flambeur" looks very good on DVD. Sure, physically, the 1.33:1 (full-frame on 4:3 monitors) black-and-white film print can not look as fresh as a movie shot within the past 5 years, but the final video transfer looks very smooth and stable. Film grain has been kept to a minimum, and the movie remains mostly clean and free of dust/hair. However, light sourcing seems to be a bit of a problem, but that probably has to do with the movie's low-budget origins.

Audio:
The DVD offers one primary audio track--a Dolby Digital 1.0 French sound mix. The DVD's audio quality is top-notch for a mono source. I didn't hear any pops, hisses, or drop-outs, and there weren't any "wavy" moments, suggesting that none of the audio sourcing had warped over the years. However, since the soundtrack comes courtesy of a mono mix, high trebles and lower frequencies do sound awkward given the limitations of the audio technology. (Optional English subtitles support the audio.)

Extras:
From a quantitative standpoint, it doesn't seem as if the "Bob le flambeur" DVD offers much to the viewer in terms of bonus materials. However, I strongly prefer Criterion's habit of including substantive extras, even if only a handful, over other studios' practice of throwing a lot of garbage at the consumer.

Instead of an audio commentary, the DVD includes a video interview with Daniel Cauchy, who plays "Paulo" in the movie. Looking much older (but still recognizable from the decades-old movie), Mr. Cauchy provides fascinating tidbits concerning the film's production. For example, he relates the fact that the movie was shot over a period of two years because the filmmakers filmed scenes only when Melville had enough money to buy film stock. Therefore, Melville could gather his actors for only 3/4 day shoots before he had to scrounge around for money again. Knowing about the odd production schedule only heightened my admiration for the slickness of the final film.

You'll also find a radio interview with director Jean-Pierre Melville conducted by an American radioman who happened to be visiting Europe. The interviewer talks a lot more than the interviewee, so the interview tapes ultimately do not yield as much fascinating information as the video interview with Cauchy. Still, I'm sure that film buffs will appreciate Criterion's efforts for tracking down this piece of media oddity.

The included theatrical trailer is a testament to the hard work that went into cleaning up the film print (the trailer shows you what "Bob le flambeur" would look like had it not been restored).

As usual for the company, The Criterion Collection included color bars on the DVD to help you adjust your viewing monitor to proper viewing settings.

The DVD keep case also houses a 22-page booklet that provides a brief text introduction of the film, an excerpt of an interview with Jean-Pierre Melville printed in Rui Nogueira's "Melville on Melville (Le cinéma selon Jean-Pierre Melville)," film production credits, DVD credits, and chapter listings.

Film Value:
Melville displays an obvious affection for moods and tones in "Bob le flambeur". What makes the movie so enjoyable is the fact that it doesn't obsess over the details of the heist as an American film would. Instead, the filmmakers trust that audiences will figure out the basic mechanics of the action for themselves. Therefore, the script has time to create multi-faceted characters who smoke too much, drink too much, and try too hard to look cool while hurting big-time on the inside. Plus, no one on Earth wears a suit as well as a Frenchman.

Bring on "Pépé le moko", Criterion! :-)