Jean-Pierre Melville Collection [DVD]

* Bob le flambeur (1956) 98 mins B/WBrilliant performance by Roger Duchesne as Bob the world-weary anti-hero. Isabelle Corey looking a bit awkward in her screen debut but lovely nonetheless. Brief nudity even for 1956 too.Extras:Introduction by Ginette Vincendeau* Léon Morin, prêtre (1961) 112 mins B/WEmmanuele Riva falls in love with a priest played by Jean-Paul Belmondo. Well-acted, but full of heavy discussions about religion which did not appeal to me. I found it difficult to sit through in one go, and it is the only film of the six I wouldn't watch again.Extras:Introduction by Ginette VincendeauSelected Scene CommentaryInterview with Assistant Director Volker SchlöndorffOriginal Trailer* Le doulos (1962) 104 mins B/WJean-Paul Belmondo again in Melville's stylish homage to film-noir. Brilliantly directed with a maze of a plot. Notable for a famous nine-minute single take in the Police Station.Extras:Introduction by Ginette VincendeauSelected Scene CommentaryInterview with Assistant Director Volker SchlöndorffOriginal Trailer* Army of Shadows (L'armée des ombres) (1969) 139 mins ColourFrance under German occuaption. Lino Ventura excellent throughout as one of the leaders of the Resistance. Some interesting set-pieces and a thoroughly enjoyable film.Extras:Commentary by Ginette VincendeauDocumentary: Le Journal de la Resistance (33 mins)Featurette: Jean-Pierre Melville, Filmmaker (5 mins)Featurette: Melville, Army of Shadows (28 mins)Trailer* Le cercle rouge (1970) 135 mins ColourAlain Delon, Gian-Maria Volonte and Yves Montand star in the ultimate robbery attempt. Will they be thwarted by the police though? Crime cinema at its best.Extras:Introduction and Commentary by Ginette VincendeauInterview with Assistant Director Bernard StoraRui Nogueira on MelvilleOriginal Trailer* Un flic (1972) 96 mins ColourMelville's last film, and certainly not his best. Alain Delon is with the police this time out battling friend and criminal Richard Crenna for the love of Catherine Deneuve. Enjoyable to a point, but the use of train and helicopter models make it look like a Joe 90 episode at times. Strangely, Michael Conrad (Sgt. Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues) also co-stars in a French-speaking role! That caught me off balance.Extras:NoneOverall, a fantastic set at this price. Melville was a unique director, and you can learn a lot about him from the extras.

Melville occupies a strange place in French cinema, not part of the old garde, and not part of the New Wave: a maverick whose work was visceral but also, occasionally, poetic.This compendium takes the viewer on a journey from the dark noir thrillers of the 50s through to the director's last and, sadly, disappointing last film in the series, 'Un Flic', (1972). Among them are, arguably, the finest French films of their respective genres. To see them together like this shows just how cohesive Melville's work was, with 'The Army of Shadows' fitting in seamlessly with the noir thrillers and the quirky 'Leon Morin, Priest'.Extras are fine, if just a little fawning at times and the visual quality is, in general, excellent, so do not be put off by the low price of the set!

This has to one of the best box set buys around at the moment. I brought mine for a snip, and have been extremely happy with my purchase. What a great way to introduce yourself to one of the great French film makers. Six fine films from the revered godfather of the French New Wave Jean-Pierre Melville. Aside from the films there is over 2 hours of extras which give an insight into the man himself by those who worked closest to him. If ever there was a true auteur of the cinema it was Melville. He would often write in his office which came directly down into the film set by a spiral staircase. This staircase is often visible in his films. I have already reviewed "Bob Le Flambeur" and "Leon Morin, Pretre", in some depth on Amazon. The last demonstrates Melville's versatility. He was certainly capable of making fine films outside his favourite film noir influenced crime films. "Army of Shadows" is arguably the finest movie ever made about the French resistance. In "Le Doulos" a criminal goes in search of revenge. In "Le Cercle Rouge" a jewel theif teams up with a disparate group to carry out a jewel heist. Finally in "Un Flic", made not long before Melville's untimely death, a Police Commissioner and a gang leader, in love with the same woman, clash when a bank robbery takes place. At the time of this review the box set can be purchased very reasonably, and it is a very good buy to the lover of fine cinema.

6 J-PM films at a great price! At least 3 are amongst my favs - the only regret is that 'Le Samourai' and 'Deuxieme Souffle' (which are two of my all-time favs) aren't among them and seem to be available but at a price!Still, that aside what you have is a fabulously packaged box-set, each DVD in its own slim case, each of a different colour so you can see at a glance the one you're looking for. This box sits pride of place on my media shelf!In addtion to excellent films by the master of his genre, you have accompanying documentaries on the director, interviews and trailiers plus options of commentaries as you watch for four of the six, trailers and the usual choice of subtitles in different languages. It's classic film-noir of the French persuasion and for me, a massive fan of LINO VENTURA, ALAIN DELON and CATHERINE DENEUVE, an easy watch again and again. There's also MONTAND, CASSEL, MEURISSSE, SIGNORET, PICCOLI, REGGIANI, BOURVILLE, CRENNA, DUCHESNE, VOLONTE and of course BELMONDO who I have to confess I've never been a fan of but he's in two and very impressive

Won't play on my DVD player, obviously. But plays on my PC.

The best of French cinema

Great collection of must see movies.