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This is an icy Euro crime outing with a great cast. It's a shame Le Mataf is only available on French DVD with no English subs as 70's French crime movies are very under represented (unlike their Italian cousins). This may not have the balls out action and macho posturing of a Merli or Milian outing but Michel Constantin's crater face speaks volumes and there's an excellent safe cracking scene featuring plenty of sweat and wild camera compositions. Melville typified the sullen loner alongside hushed, whispered dialogue. The performances here mirror the maestros tone alongside the twisting narrative and laid back pacing. Stelvio Cipriani's lush score is another plus. Check it out.

I just checked this incredible obscurity after an American friend recommended it. Wolves Don't Eat meat has all the intrinsic ingredients that feeds the needs of the most ardent exploitation fan - sexy sleaze, pulpy violence and a funky electro score (from Morricone collaborator Patrick Sampson) and infuses proceedings with an off kilter weirdness that would certainly cross over to the 'analytical' art-house crowd. Budgetary mistakes or not - no other crime movie from the Middle East quite looks like this one - the first speechless 30 mins is a tour de force of mood and strangeness as our assassin anti hero stumbles in to a crazed orgiastic pot party following a frantic car chase. The Italian influence is prevalent throughout (particularly the deranged ambiance of Bergonzelli's surreal giallo In The Folds of the Flesh) and when we get to the shocking slaughter house face off Wolves Don't Eat Meat has already established itself as a left of centre masterpiece. There are some positive reviews on the site for this wonderful obscurity - ignore the more negative comments of the other 'critics' (I use this term very lightly) - it's OK to have opinions (be they negative or otherwise) but to ignore this movie would be WRONG.