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Friday, Jul 7, 2017
7 PM (145 mins)
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BAMPFA
SUBJECTS
Le deuxième souffle
(Second Breath), (Second Wind)
Imported Print
Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga,
Aging gangster Gustave “Gu” Minda escapes from prison into an underworld society of professional thieves, killers, and cops that has functioned without him for ten years. Invited to participate in a heist, he proves his skills are still intact. But an accusation that he has betrayed his cohorts proves his undoing; only the “correct” action of the policeman on the case can clear his name. Honor among thieves, and a bond between the intelligent crook and the smart cop, are identifiable trademarks of the Melville policier, as emblematic as the familiar American gangster film conventions he honors. But Melville isolates all of this in an austere visual style, while the characters remain impassive in the extreme. If there is loyalty, even love, between these men, they are not allowed one luxury: trust.
FILM DETAILS
Screenwriter
- Jean-Pierre Melville
Based On
the novel by José Giovanni
Cinematographer
- Marcel Combes
Language
- French
Print Info
- B&W
- 35mm
- 145 mins
Source
- Courtesy Institut Français, thanks to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy
Permission
- Janus Films
CINEFILES
CineFiles is an online database of BAMPFA's extensive collection of documentation covering world cinema, past and present.
View Le deuxième souffle documents
Jean-Pierre Melville: the French connection (program note), Pacific Film Archive, Judy Bloch, 1996
Melville on Melville -- excerpt (book excerpt), Secker and Warburg, Rui Nogueira, 1971
Melville on Melville -- excerpt (book excerpt), Secker and Warburg, Rui Nogueira, 1971
Le deuxieme souffle (review), Sight and Sound, Tom Milne, 1967
Le deuxieme souffle (review), Variety, Gene Moskowitz, 1966
Second breath (distributor materials), Audio Brandon Films, Charles Affron
Jean-Pierre Melville in context (program note), Chris Peachment
French cinema since 1946, volume 2 -- excerpt (book excerpt), Roy Armes
Deuxieme souffle, le (review)
Displaying 9 of 9 publicly available documents.