Deux hommes dans la ville

It represents the ash after its final credits. last meet between Gabin and Delon on screen, it is a film inspiring, for an old man like me, nostalgia. because it seems a puzzle with familiar pieces. simple. but seductive. dramatic. for the nuances. a story about second chance, justice and sins. one of films for a precise target. because it is one of keys to an universe of cinema who seems, for many reasons, lost today.

Curiously enough, the central plot of this one is quite similar to that of ONCE A THIEF (1965; also starring Alain Delon and which I watched on the very same day) – though here it's even gloomier (ultimately taking the form of a plea against capital punishment)! Incidentally, co-writer/director Giovanni had been a convict in real-life, and even wrote the novel which inspired Jacques Becker's marvelous prison-escape drama LE TROU (1960).

Anyway, Delon and Jean Gabin are well-teamed here (this was the last of three films in which they appeared together, following ANY NUMBER CAN WIN [1963] and THE SICILIAN CLAN [1969]): the latter isn't particularly exerted by his role – being, after all, among his last – but the former is unusually committed and, in fact, he also served as the film's producer! Mimsy Farmer appears as Delon's new lover following the tragic death of his wife in a road accident; Michel Bouquet is memorable as the Javert-like police inspector who won't let Delon go (a slinky but nastier version of the Van Heflin part in ONCE A THIEF); Gerard Depardieu has a brief role at the beginning as a wannabe criminal associate of Delon's.

Based in own life experience on dead row of the director José Giovanni takes to screen for Alain Delon as co-producer, the role of friendly Germaine Cazeneuve will be to Lino Ventura who turned down, then asking for Yves Montand who indirectly said no, they had re-written the screenplay to fit an old men like Jean Gabin who play Germaine a social worker that tries socialize some prisoners using his own sharpened instinct gathered for a long time, he struggles for a parole to Gino Strabliggi (Alain Delon) two years before the judgment given of twelve years, after on street already working he lost your girlfriend on car's accident, moved to Montpelier he starts again always escorted by Germaine, when faces Inspector Goitreau (Michel Bouquet) a man who arrested him for first time, for now on the rigid Inspector will turn his life in a hell, letting Gino to nervous breakdown and killing him with own hands, in jail later after an exhaustive trial was sentenced for a death penalty at Guillotine, state by many as Les Miserable alike but it wasn't to me at all, it was Giavanni statement against death penalty on France, which will be swept on 1981, strangely Alain Delon making this picture was totally agreed with death penalty!!

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8

Germaine Cazeneuve (Jean Gabin) is an educator of delinquents and state prisoners, his job is to help them reform and adjust to a new life outside of prison. He pleads for leniency in the case of safe cracker Gino Strabliggi (Alain Delon) who is up for parole after 10 years inside, against their better judgement the parole board agrees to Cazeneuve's request on condition that he takes responsibility for Strabliggi. Gino, as an ex con, is forced by French law to take residence anywhere but in a city and so he settles with his young wife in the country, where fate turns against him, as first his wife is killed, then he is hounded by his former crime gang to return to his former lifestyle and also one of the arresting officers from his case years previously, the now chief inspector Goitreau is in charge of the area and has a grudge against him and becomes even more suspicious when he finds out Gino's new girlfriend Lucie is working in the local bank With the help of his now good friend Cazeuenve and his new girlfriend Lucie (Mimsy Farmer) he tries to battle his demons and fight against the troublesome cop.

Jose Giovanni (born Joseph Damiani) is perhaps best known as a writer of some renown in France, in films like Melvilles Le Deuxième soufflé, and Classe tous risques (1960) his writings usually centering on crime, an area he knew only too well, as he was on death row in France from 1948-1956 before gaining a Presidential pardon. While inside he penned the script for Le Trou, French slang for prison literally meaning "The Hole", a script that would gain him one of his first steps into the film industry, when it was filmed by Jacques Becker, who turned out one of the best prison films ever made. Deux hommes dans la ville is a film that was obviously close to his heart as it doesn't reveal its true motives until the end, where we are treated to an emotional climax on death row, with the usual last minute wait on a pardon. The film itself is an excellent character study, made all the better by two fine performances by the Gabin and Delon. Gabin giving us a truly world weary performance, his voice-over at times heartbreaking, as he comes to terms with the injustices he encounters on a daily basis. Delon portrays the truly reformed character Gino, struggling against the injustice of a criminal and legal system that still lives in the dark ages with a deliciously watchable class. The film struggles at times, especially early on to keep cohesion, Giovanni seemingly trying to fit to many characters and too much plot into a short time span, its almost like this film should have had a running time of 4 hours and he struggled to leave out areas that were obviously dear to his heart. Still though it's a classy film, beautifully filmed and with a truly epic and emotive score by Philippe Sarde. Giallo queen Farmer is also pretty good and there a very charismatic cameo from Gerard Depardieu as a cocky young criminal, who's not that impressed by Gino's past glories.

Although "le Rapace" , "Dernier domicile Connu" and even " la Loi du Survivant" are certainly superior to "deux Hommes dans la Ville" ,the latter is Giovanni's definitive statement against death penalty.He and André Cayatte were the two French directors who really fought during their careers and their films certainly contributed to its abolishment in 1981.Giovanni would come back to his favourite subject with "comme un Boomerang" and" une Robe Noire pour un Tueur",but those were much weaker efforts.And his final work "Mon père" is not devoid of leniency.

"Deux Hommes dans la Ville "is A WINNER.First thing to bear in mind is that ,at its time of release,French critics were chilly ,they sneered when they saw Michel Bouquet 's cop character.They had probably forgotten "Les misérables" ,Javert and Jean Valjean.Giovanni's cop is not implausible and Bouquet's sly face is ideal.

By and large,the cast is dazzling:we find an actor from the heyday of the French cinema ,Gabin,(Delon's fate recalls some parts of young Gabin "le jour se lève" and "Quai des Brumes"),then from the second generation (Delon) and even the third one is represented with Gerard Depardieu and Bernard Giraudeau -whose part is certainly the weakest of the script:the post-68 student ,we have seen this character too many times- Supporting cast also includes Victor Lanoux and Malka Ribowska ,as a convincing lawyer who is Giovanni's spokesman(woman!)when she expresses her horror of this "razor" (guillotine)which reduces France to the level of the under developed countries.

Gino (Delon) paid for what he'd done.He deserved a chance to pick up the pieces.His awakening,on THE fatal morning,is absolutely terrifying.