Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Le Doulos Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 11, 2019

Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Doulos" a.k.a. "The Finger Man" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new program with assistant director Volker Schlondorff; exclusive new audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan; and new program about the production history of the film. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Finger Man

Below is a very plausible summation of your first experience with Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Doulos. I know it is because a long, long time ago it was my experience with this classic gangster film.

You are approximately an hour into the film and feel quite frustrated because you keep noticing names and hearing about events that you can’t fit into a coherent story. You begin to wonder if you are too tired and somehow missed crucial details, or if the English translation just isn’t making things as clear to you as they should be. You tell yourself that all of this is possible, but you are not yet convinced it is your fault that the film appears to have too many loose ends that don’t come together as they should. Eventually, your frustration prevails, you stop the film and vow to give it another try on a day when you feel rested. Then you forget about it.

The next time you decide to view the film will be months, maybe even years later, and long before you reach the hour mark you will begin remembering your first experience with it. Why? Because once again you will find yourself struggling to remember names and understand why some of the events that are being discussed before the camera are supposed to be important. So, what is going on in this film? And why do you keep getting lost in it?

First, some good news for you: during your viewings of the film, you did not miss any crucial details. (I will explain exactly why below). Also, the English translation on your disc was fine. And you did not pick the worst time to view the film, meaning that you were not so tired that you could not focus on the story. In other words, your first experience with Le Doulos was like hundreds of other first experiences with different films that you have had in the past -- with the only exception being that somewhere around the hour mark you became frustrated. But it was not your fault.

Here’s why:

Le Doulos was conceived in a very particular way that intentionally prevents you from immediately understanding the exact roles of its characters and the logic behind the ways in which they engage each other. So, if you focus on the different names that are thrown around and attempt to figure out the exact structure of the story that they are supposedly part of, you are going to experience the frustration that I described earlier. What should you do, then? Don’t forget the film's explanation of the context in which the term doulos is used -- translated into English it means informer -- and pay close attention to the trail that Jean-Paul Belmondo’s character, Silien, leaves while his old pal Maurice (Serge Reggiani), who has just been released from prison, goes to work again. The film is not about a particular job and its mechanics, it is about Silien moving into an underground jungle full of predators that are ready to kill each other for the right reason. This is the big picture where the many seemingly random names and events that are mentioned fit in and make perfect sense. While talking business, Silien and everyone around him constantly study each other and evaluate their next move; it is a game of wit and instincts where no one is ever safe -- no one.

Melville worked with cinematographer Nicolas Hayer, who some years earlier lensed Henri-Georges Clouzot’s famous thriller Le Corbeau. Here, Hayer emphasizes a wide range of noirish qualities that can easily be traced back to the many big classic American gangster films Melville admired.

*Volker Schlondorff was hired as a first assistant director on Le Doulos. This recent release has an outstanding exclusive new video interview with Schlondorff in which he discusses in great detail Melville’s obsession with American films, some of his unorthodox working methods, and the key themes that defined his body of work.

Le Doulos Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Doulos arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an excellent recent 4K restoration that was completed by StudioCanal. The film looks terrific in high-definition. Delineation and depth are enormously pleasing and the grading job brings back to life a fantastic range of nuances that give the film its noirish identity. Fluidity is also solid, so folks with larger screens should be quite happy with the way the visuals hold up. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Overall image stability is excellent. Also, there are no traces of age-related anomalies. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Le Doulos Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

It shows right away that the audio has been completely redone. What comes out of the speakers is clean and sharp audio with lovely depth and proper balance. I personally like its dynamic intensity as well, though as usual I have to mention that for obvious reasons it does not match what modern film projects are capable of delivering. The English translation is good, but the size of the subtitles is a bit too small.

Le Doulos Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Demon Within Him - in this new video interview, Volker Schlondorff, who was hired as a first assistant director on Le Doulos, discusses in great detail Jean-Pierre Melville's obsession with American films, some of his unorthodox working methods, the key themes that defined his body of work, as well as the impact his collaborations with the French director had on the evolution of his work. The interview was conducted exclusively for Kino Lorber. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• The Birth of the Detective Story Melville Style - in this recent program, author and film historian Denitza Bantcheva discusses the conception of Le Doulos, the casting of Jean-Paul Belmondo for the role of Silien, and the film's visual style and tone. Volker Schlondorff also recalls his work as an assistant director on the film and comments on how Jean-Pierre Meville's concept for it evolved. In French, with optional English subtitles. (33 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan was recorded exclusively for Kino Lorber's release of Le Doulos.

• Trailer - an original French trailer for Le Doulos. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Additional Trailers - a gallery of trailers for the following releases from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. Léon Morin, Priest.
  2. Bob le Flambeur.
  3. Touchez Pas au Grisbi
  4. Razzia sur la chnouf
  5. Alphaville

Le Doulos Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some films are a lot simpler than they initially appear to be, they just need to be seen from the right angle so that everything that takes place in them begins to make perfect sense. Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Doulos is that kind of busy, borderline hectic yet very simple film. It's got another classic character transformation from Jean-Paul Belmondo and a lush noirish look that makes these types of older gangster films simply irresistible. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release is sourced from a terrific recent 4K restoration and features an outstanding exclusive new program with Volker Schlondorff, who was hired by Melville to work as an assistant director on Le Doulos. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.