A Complete Crime Picture With Gangsters, Coppers, Capers and Conspiracies, Told in the Inimitable Melville Fashion.

LE DEUXIÉME SOUFFLE [SECOND BREATH]
(1966)

Directed by- Jean-Pierre Melville

Written by- José Giovanni, Jean-Pierre Melville

*Lino Ventura, Christine Fabréga, Paul Meurisse, Michel Constantin, Marcel Bozzuffi, Raymond Pellegrin, Pierre Zimmer


Le Deuxième Souffle is a fantastic experience. With an ample running time of 150 minutes it tells the story of a gangster who breaks out of jail and his subsequent attempts at getting back into the game.

It is told with Melville's inimitable style which includes sharp cuts, smooth transitions and tricky camerawork, that makes use of the camera as an organism within the film's environment as it maneuvers through gorgeously executed tracking shots and smartly positioned frames.

Jean-Pierre Melville's gangster noir is a treat for both fans of the genre and those new to it. With Marcel Combes brilliant cinematography which effectively caters to both the noir elements and Melville's own visual style. The exquisite lighting and moody shadows, which are prerequisites for the former, are brought out well, but combine it with the latter and you get something wholly unprecedented.

The story takes its own time to set up. We are gradually introduced to all the characters and the build-up takes a while before acquainting us with everyone. Melville follows seemingly disconnected threads with equal earnestness and detail and thus firmly establishes every character within the first half hour.
The escaping convict, the lonely woman and her protector, the over-smart cop, the scheming gangsters, everyone is perfectly etched out and it is when these characters pool into the main storyline does the excitement truly begin. 

Le Deuxieme Souffle is certainly one of the most complete crime films I've seen in a long time. There is a heist, the obligatory cat-and-mouse game between the police and the gangsters, even an almost personal sentiment to the cop's interest in catching the criminal, topped with enough action, double-crosses and shootouts. 

Plus, it's incredibly cool. All thanks to Melville's keen eye for detail which continues to add fun elements to the story. The crooked cigarette, Gu's queer murdering style, the diary, and how and where it ends. 
Not only is it a 'whole' film which despite a linear storyline keeps you engaged, it is brimming with originality and smartly developed characters. Particularly, the serious and very professional Gu and the confident and merry Inspector Blot.
Even the 'muscle', Alban, is a character of its own and you can see his importance for the siblings.

But it miraculously never comes off as pretentious or trying too hard to mix in all these different elements. Rather everything fits naturally into the narrative, and with minimal background score for added realism and tension.


Despite being longer than your average film, it never loses steam, in fact, expertly maintains the tension as it seamlessly transports from scene to scene.

In short, Le Deuxième Souffle is a marvellous film which maintains a balanced narrative and uses nifty techniques and well-rounded, entertaining characters to tell a wonderful gangster story.
Requires patience but you end up thoroughly enjoying it.


Rating- 4.2/5