Bob le Flambeur (1956)
Bob le Flambeur is a French gangster film released in 1956 by Play Art Films, and re-released by Rialto Pictures in the United States. The film follows the story of Robert Montagne, a retired bank robber who is losing his money to a severe gambling addiction. In order to regain his funds, he plans a casino heist, but is thwarted by his friend and his love interest.
Bob le Flambeur (also known as "Bob the Gambler" and "Bob the High Roller") served as inspiration for many future filmmakers who produced movies involving casino heists, such as Ocean’s 11. The film has a running
Cast and Crew of Bob le Flambeur
Bob le Flambeur was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and produced by Jean-Pierre Melville and Serge Silberman. The director and Auguste Le Breton wrote the original screenplay for the film. Eddie Barclay and Jean Boyer wrote the musical score for the film. Henri Decae provided cinematography, and Monique Bonnot edited the film.
Bob le Flambeur stars Roger Duchesne playing Bob Montagne, Isabelle Cory playing Anne, Daniel Cauchy playing Paolo, Guy Decomble playing Inspector Ledru, and Andre Garet playing Roger. The supporting cast includes Gerard Buhr, Claude Cerval, Collete Fleury, Simon Paris, Rene Havard, and Vernon Howard.
Plot Synopsis for Bob le Flambeur
Bob is an aging thief and gambler residing in the Montmarte area of Paris. Though Bob is a respected gentleman in the community, his gambling addiction is taking a toll on his bankroll. Previously, Bob was involved in an unsuccessful bank robbery, resulting in prison time.
Bob’s friend informs him that a local casino, the Deauville, contains enormous amounts of cash that are vulnerable to theft in the middle of the night. Bob concocts a complex heist that will allow him to take the money, and regain his lost gambling funds. He assembles a crew of accomplices, including a young protégé and an experienced safecracker to assist in his heist.
Bob becomes romantically involved with Anne, a young woman who has found herself with a home and is willing to stay with anyone who is willing to shelter her. Anne becomes increasingly familiar with Paolo, Bob’s friend and accomplice. Inspector Ledru, an officer of the local police, gets word that Bob is planning some sort of large-scale heist. Before the informant gets a chance to give Ledru the details, he is shot and killed.
Paolo comes to trust Anne, and he informs her of Bob’s heist plot. Anne accidentally betrays Bob and his gang by telling Ledru of the plot, failing to realize that it’s secretive. Ledru searches Bob’s home, but fails to find any evidence of an imminent heist. Meanwhile, Bob gambles at the Deauville Casino while scoping out the area. Bob encounters an incredible winning streak that lasts well into the night, and while he’s celebrating his good luck, he realizes that it’s 5:00 AM: the scheduled time for the heist.
Bob quickly cashes in his chips and exits the casino. As he’s leaving, his crew arrives on schedule, but is intercepted by Ledru and the rest of the police. A shootout ensues. Paolo is killed in a hail of bullets, and Bob is arrested, and his winning are confiscated by the police. Despite Bob’s arrest, the film implies that he won’t see much jail time, and that he eventually ends up with Anne, who is waiting at his apartment.
Critical Reception for Bob le Flambeur
Bob le Flambeur was very well received at the time of its release, and has continued to receive favorable reviews today. Bob le Flambeur was re-released in US theaters in 2001, upon which it received a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as the film review site’s coveted "Cream Of The Crop" distinction.
Consumer reviews of the film have been similarly favorable, with Bob le Flambeur holding a 7.9 out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database, with 2,895 votes counted.
Additional Information about Bob le Flambeur
Bob le Flambeur is considered to be an inspiration for the French New Wave film era that began in 1959, as well as the pinnacle of French films drawing from American noir inspiration.
Alain Delon auditioned for the role of Paolo, but Jean-Pierre Melville rejected him, citing the fact that his performance would be too good and that he’d steal the show.
Bob le Flambeur has served as a huge influence for modern heist films and action films in general. The relationship between the criminal and the police officer in The Transporter is taken almost directly from Bob le Flambeur. The concept of a scheming criminal assembling a gang of associates in order to perform a heist is mirrored in films such as Ocean’s 11.
Stanley Kubrick is quoted as saying that he had given up on doing crime movies because Melville’s Bob le Flambeur couldn’t possibly be topped.