L'arme à gauche

In French ,"passer l'arme à gauche" means "kicking the bucket".A fine title for a movie which has worn very well.This is Claude Sautet's second effort ,and while the screenplay does not equal that of his previous effort("classes tous risques") ,his firm directing , his excellent editing -which will be even better in following work "les choses de la vie"- ,his use of so-called B-movie actors (Ventura,Sylva Koscina and Leo Gordon),and above all,his honesty (the movie is now in English,now in French,sometimes in Spanish ,depending on the characters who are speaking,which is almost exceptional for the time)An excellent cinematography -numerous scenes at dawn or twilight which the black and white paradoxically enhances-,which works wonders because almost most of the story takes place on a boat and on a tiny island where the villains keep their weapons .