Jean-Pierre Melville: Le Doulos [The Informant]

Melville strikes again in black and white with Le Doulos /  The Finger Man, a scary noir film based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Pierre Lesou. Because it deals with a mix of crime, double-crossing friends, acquaintances and "associates," and quick bursts of violence, this one may leave you with nightmares or unsettling thoughts and dreams. I find these kinds of tales scarier than horror stories, seeing how easy it is for people to turn on each other -- even despite a fair amount of social cohesion and personal history. 

The actors are top notch and include Serge Reggiani (with more than a passing resemblance to Mr. Bean), Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michel Piccoli. Grounded in real-life experiences during WWII with the French underground, Melville (and Reggiani) knows and conveys the feeling of "harrowing" experience. 

Today's Rune: Defense.