What a shame to waste such renowned acting talent on a film filled with endless wordless scenes. Twenty-six minutes without a single word spoken! Honestly, this film doesn't deserve the acclaim it gets. What a waste! Poor Bourvil, who poured himself into the role despite his suffering—it’s a good thing he never saw the final result! On top of that, there are inconsistencies right from the start: a train window shattering from a single kick... crossing a river in his underpants yet only getting his legs wet... a police dragnet sweeping across an open field shoulder-to-shoulder... climbing out of a car trunk into a muddy field... shoes going from filthy to clean before setting off again, and so on. It’s very un-professional work from Melville, trying to pass off grand philosophical quotes.

Coolest guys to ever exist. Very minimalistic, which is what director Jean-Pierre Melville is known for. Long scenes with next to no dialogue, while still being able to know exactly what is going on, separates the professionals from the amateurs. "Still as stupid as ever on the force, eh, old friend?"

Melville embraces a lot of the classic crime tropes here, but they’re presented in ways that feel really distinct and clever. I also appreciate his strong directorial stamp; the atmospheric camerawork and minimal dialogue/exposition lift this far beyond what could otherwise be a simple genre exercise. Maybe the pacing is too slow for a modern audience, but I love how it slowly builds tension and character. The plot is simple yet memorable, concise, well structured and riveting. Honestly there’s very little wrong with this film, I’d recommend this to anyone who’s into filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Mann and David Fincher. 9/10

The most boring action movie that I've ever watched

Image 3.5 / 5 and sound 3.25 / 5 black French good film, but too long for what counts