Bob le Flambeur
Release date: 1956-08-24
Votes: 291
Genres: Drama, Action, Crime
In Paris, Bob Montagne is practically synonymous with gambling -- and winning. He is kind, classy and well-liked by virtually everyone in town, including police inspector Ledru. However, when Bob's luck turns sour, he begins to lose friends and makes the most desperate gamble of his life: to rob the Deauville casino during Grand Prix weekend, when the vaults are full. Unfortunately, Bob soon learns that the game is rigged and the cops are on to him.
Reviews
gvasil
A quintessential film noir from the Godfather of the French Nouvelle Vague, which, through the life of a high-class gambler, uniquely transports us to the nightlife of Montmartre in the 50s. Jean-Pierre Melville paves the way for the arrival of the French New Wave at the end of the same decade with the use of jump cuts, natural lighting, and handheld camera work. What he masterfully achieves, however, is to convey the entire atmosphere of post-war Montmartre to the big screen, which at that time was a hub for gamblers, prostitutes, petty criminals, and jazz musicians, in stark contrast to its current touristy image. The camera follows Bob through narrow alleys filled with cabarets, bistros, cheap hotels, and old residences, with the only landmark of virtue and tranquility being the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, which looms majestically in the background of the scenes that take us to the gambler Bob's apartment. A pathological gambler with moral values who does not hesitate to set aside his personal gain, even in love, when he recognizes something pure within the sinful nightlife of Montmartre. A cynical anti-hero who, even when he veers back towards criminality, does so not merely for the easy wealth he hopes for, but primarily for the thrill of this enormous bet, the largest he has ever placed in his life. A bet with tragic consequences, mainly for others. Bob, like Melville, has experienced it all. He is no longer afraid of prison or death. He is content to spend his days languidly, allowing his passion to destroy him. Parallel lives with the film's director, who had one passion throughout his life: to make films. And he did, from the age of 6. The only thing that interrupted him was World War II, during which he joined the French Resistance and fought the Nazis until the end. As soon as the war was over, he returned to his passion, which he pursued relentlessly until death stopped him. He directed 13 films and died at the young age of 55, while writing the script for his 14th film, leaving behind a unique cinematic legacy. Originally posted on The Film Project: https://thefilmproject.org/movie/Bob%20le%20Flambeur%20(1956)#review-bdd5a646-6340-448a-a2f6-16fe0d453fae
Movie Recommendation
A Night in Casablanca1946-05-10The Marx Brothers are employed at a hotel in postwar Casablanca, where a ring of Nazis is trying to recover a cache of stolen treasure.More...
The Grand Duel1972-12-29A grizzled ex-sheriff helps a man framed for murder to confront the powerful trio of brothers who want him dead.More...
Gate of Hell1953-10-30Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.More...
The Hero1966-05-06Arindam, a matinee idol, is going by train to collect an acting award. On the train, he is confronted by Aditi, a journalist who somewhat unwillingly starts to take his interview. Arindam, won over by Aditi's naivete, starts to disclose his past, his fears and his secrets.More...
The Battle of the River Plate1956-10-30In the early years of the World War II, the Royal Navy is fighting a desperate battle to keep the Atlantic convoy routes open to supply the British Isles, facing the great danger posed by the many German warships, such as the Admiral Graf Spee, which are scouring the ocean for cargo ships to sink.More...
The Equation of Love and Death2008-09-18When a mysterious death occurs, the lives of five unexpected strangers are suddenly intertwined together. A drug trafficking crime is unveiled, and through the twist and turns of the investigation, their stories unravel, and a bizarre connection is gradually discovered between them.More...
The Saddest Music in the World2003-09-17In Depression-era Winnipeg, a legless beer baroness hosts a contest for the saddest music in the world, offering a grand prize of $25,000.More...
Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie2013-04-20When they can no longer stomach the ever-growing weed of suburban crime, Jay and Silent Bob take on the mantles of costumed avengers Bluntman and Chronic, smashing the super-villains they accidentally create! Can the Doobage Duo save their beloved Jersey 'burbs from their new arch enemies, The League of Shitters? While clearly not the comic book movie the world wants, GROOVY MOVIE is the comic book movie the world needs!More...
Borsalino and Co.1974-10-23Marseille. Heaps of flowers and funeral wreaths... "A man who no longer defends his colors is no longer a man."More...
For My Country2023-02-08Aissa, a young officer of Algerian origin, tragically loses his life during a fresher initiation ritual at the prestigious French military academy of Saint-Cyr. As the death tears through his family, controversy arises over Aissa’s funeral plans when the Army refuses to take responsibility. Ismael, his older, rebellious brother, tries to keep the family united as they fight to win justice for Aissa.More...
The Monsters1963-10-30The myths of the sixties are satirized in 20 episodes.More...
Le Doulos1962-12-13Enigmatic gangster Silien may or may not be responsible for informing on Faugel, who was just released from prison and is already involved in what should be a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisting, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust?More...
Reprise2006-09-08Phillip and Erik have been best friends since childhood. Both young men share a passion for the works of reclusive novelist Sten Egil Dahl, and both harbor literary ambitions. However, fate deals differently with the friends as each strives to make his dream come true.More...
Even the Rain2011-01-05As a director and his crew shoot a controversial film about Christopher Columbus in Cochabamba, Bolivia, local people rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.More...
The Magnificent Ambersons1942-07-10The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.More...
Sansho the Bailiff1954-03-31In medieval Japan, a woman and her children journey to find the family's patriarch, who was exiled years earlier.More...
Ordet1955-01-09The three sons of devout Danish farmer Morten have widely disparate religious beliefs. Youngest son Anders shares his father's religion, but eldest son Mikkel has lost his faith, while middle child Johannes has become delusional and proclaims that he is Jesus Christ himself. When Mikkel's wife, Inger goes into a difficult childbirth, everyone's beliefs are put to the test.More...
Bed and Board1970-09-09Parisian everyman Antoine Doinel has married his sweetheart Christine Darbon, and the newlyweds have set up a cozy domestic life of selling flowers and giving violin lessons while Antoine fitfully works on his long-gestating novel. As Christine becomes pregnant with the couple's first child, Antoine finds himself enraptured with a young Japanese beauty. The complications change the course of their relationship forever.More...
Last Year at Marienbad1961-05-25In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.More...
The Haunting1963-03-28Dr. John Markway recruits three strangers for a sleep-disorder study at the eerie and isolated Hill House. It soon becomes clear his real interest lies in the mansion itself and its sinister history, as they are forced to confront the nature of its horror…More...
Similar Movies
Sexy Beast
2001-01-12Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.The Return of the Pin...
1975-05-21The famous Pink Panther jewel has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catch the thief. The Inspector is convinced that 'The Phantom' has returned and utilises all of his resources – himself and his Asian manservant – to reveal the identity of 'The Phantom'.The Accidental Spy
2001-01-18A fun-filled story about an ordinary guy about to kick into an action-packed adventure. Jackie Chan plays a bored and unsuccessful salesman who never thought his life would amount to anything. All that changes one day when he becomes an instant hero by foiling an attempted bank robbery.Sabrina
1995-12-15After her return from school in Paris, a playboy finally takes notice of his family's chauffeur's daughter Sabrina, who's long had a crush on him, but he questions his more serious brother's motives when he warns against getting involved with her.Flight of the Phoenix...
2004-12-17When an oil rig in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia proves unproductive, an aircraft crew are sent to shut the operation down and fly them out. On the flight out over the desert on the way to Beijing, Capt. Frank Towns and co-pilot A.J. are unable to keep their cargo plane, a C-119 Flying Boxcar, in the air when a violent sandstorm strikes. Crash-landing in a remote uncharted part of the desert, the two pilots and their passengers -- a crew of oil workers and a drifter -- must work together to survive by rebuilding the aircraft. Soon, low supplies and a band of merciless smugglers add even greater urgency to their task.Ace High
1968-10-02After Cacopoulos manages to save himself from being hung on a false charge, he robs Cat Stevens and Hutch Bessy of a lot of money and steals their horses. This results in a merry chase and Stevens and Bessy become unwilling allies in Cacopoulus' revenge against the people who deserted him and framed him to get their money back.Silver Streak
1976-12-03A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.The Great Race
1965-07-01Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.The Hunchback of Notr...
1956-12-19Paris, 1482. Today is the festival of the fools, taking place like each year in the square outside Cathedral Notre Dame. Among jugglers and other entertainers, Esmeralda, a sensuous gypsy, performs a bewitching dance in front of delighted spectators. From up in a tower of the cathedral, Frollo, an alchemist, gazes at her lustfully. Later in the night, Frollo orders Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer and his faithful servant, to kidnap Esmeralda. But when the ugly freak comes close to her is touched by the young woman's beauty...Anthony Zimmer
2005-04-01François, an ordinary Joe, falls hard for the sublimely beautiful woman who has just picked him up on the train and invited him to spend the weekend with her on the Riviera. But when the lady disappears the next morning and the police drag him in for questioning, François discovers he's been set up to pass for her notorious outlaw husband on the run, Anthony Zimmer. Even though he's been lied to and manipulated, François' life is changed forever and he's ready to give anything - maybe even his life - to hold this mysterious beauty in his arms again.Millions
2005-04-08Two boys, still grieving the death of their mother, find themselves the unwitting benefactors of a bag of bank robbery loot in the week before the United Kingdom switches its official currency to the Euro. What's a kid to do?High Society
2014-08-13Class barriers threaten the budding romance of two young lovers striving to realize their artistic ambitions.Mesrine: Killer Insti...
2008-10-22Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier, is back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido, Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder.The Air I Breathe
2007-02-07A gambler’s bet spiraling into chaos, a gangster's prophetic visions, a pop star’s dark entanglement, a doctor’s desperate race against time to rescue his beloved... Four interconnected stories reveal life unfolding through four emotional pillars — joy, passion, grief, and love.The Aura
2005-09-15A quiet, epileptic taxidermist plans the perfect crime. All he needs is the right opportunity. An accident, perhaps…Arthur
1981-07-17Arthur is a 30-year-old child who will inherit $750 million if he complies with his family's demands and marries the woman of their choosing.Bottle Rocket
1996-02-21Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry.Angels with Dirty Fac...
1938-11-26Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood.The Doom Generation
1995-10-20Jordan White and Amy Blue, two troubled teens, pick up an adolescent drifter, Xavier Red. Together, the threesome embarks on a sex- and violence-filled journey through a United States of psychos and quickie marts.The United States of ...
2003-05-15A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.