Borsalino

Jacques Deray, who directed gangster genre movies almost exclusively, has achieved his most popular success (in America) with this movie. It was a stroke to combine the two leading men in roles which were cut out for each of them. Credit for this must go (in part, at least) to Alain Delon, who produced the movie. The very catchy, and hummable music for this movie was by the prolific composer, Claude Bolling, who collaborated with Deray on other films.

My only carping criticism is the length of the movie. I feel that about 15 minutes could have been trimmed in order to keep it moving.

I liked this film and became a Belmondo and Delon fan because of it. The story fosters traditional friendship values : Loyalty , affection , and it underwrites pursuit of dreams.

All production values are a little over dramatic , which worked for me given the slightly hammy machismo of the stars. These guys looked like they really are friends off-screen and maybe had a lot of fun making the film. They are a couple of real characters and it shows through. They're better at playing themselves than at acting

Interesting sepia stills for credit backgrounds which predate Butch Cassidy's use of them as nostalgia evocation.

Somewhat typical of foreign films of the period , the continuity was sometimes uneven . But that wasn't particularly disruptive because of the un-complex story line.

At that time,Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon who had been top of status as an actor in France. They seemed to enjoy performing light touch gang star movie. Jean Paul and Alain argued who's name should be up or down. I thought it doesn't matter for them. About 28 later they co-worked with "Half A Chance(1998)",they fight fighting over the same woman and became partner...it reminded me of this movie. Also fashion coordinate and soundtrack were great.

"Borsalino" is one of the all-time fun French gangster films. I saw it in a cinema in Paris when I studied there eons ago, but just try to find the DVD or videotape! I guess they're trying to increase its rarity value by foisting a much inferior film, Borsalino & Company, on Delon and Belmondo fans. Well, this is the genuine article, more Marseille than the real city, perhaps 70 years or so ago, so just enjoy the great dialogue and scenarios IF YOU EVER MANAGE TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS TAPE OR (BETTER) DVD, NOT DUBBED but with subtitles s'il vous plaît. The soundtrack by Claude Bolling (sporadically available on CD) is the perfect accompaniment, and the combination of the French cinema's two most popular young actors made this an all time favorite in France. In the final analysis, style certainly triumphs over substance, and you'll never forget you are seeing Delon and Belmondo. This film has stuck in my mind all these years, and I think you'll be just as impressed as I was... bonne chance!

For some reason my little local library in Minnesota has this movie. Its about a pair of small-time criminals in 1930s Marsielles, France who rise to be gangster bosses. The movie looks pretty good, with nice period clothes, cars and decor, and the guys look the part in their 30's gangster suits (especially the dark-haired guy). And Lola the girlfriend is pretty hot. And there's some decent tommy-gun violence. But the characters seem cardboard and undeveloped, and the dialog is not very interesting (maybe something was lost in the dubbing). I sensed they were trying to imitate an old-style Hollywood gangster movie a la Cagney; was 30's France really this much like Capone's Chicago? So, although I am a big fan of old gangster movies, I wouldn't rate this one too highly.