Review of Borsalino

Borsalino (1970)
8/10
Stylish in many ways... And pleasantly frivolous
7 November 2013
Late 1920ies and the 1930ies were apparently the years when gallantry and stylishness saw their peak: war wounds were mostly healed, people acquired wealth, aristocracy and bourgeoisie were able to spend on entertainment and diversity again. Such was the background in the 1930 Marseille, where two small-time crooks join forces after an odd meeting, begin with fixed horse races and fights, and the continue in doing jobs for local top gangsters.

Viewers can see several fine places, with wealthy people wearing stylish clothes, enjoying a good music/games/food, sometimes disrupted by shootings, chases and fights, mostly related to the two leading characters - François Capella and Roch Siffredi, splendidly performed by famous character actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon, respectively. Their talent and elegance is visible throughout the film, outperforming all their co-actors, and the French language is a booster of the atmosphere (U.S. gangster films are usually gloomier and rougher).

Borsalino is a fine example of French action movies made in the 1960- 70ies; luckily, it is a colour film and shows fully the talents of Belmondo and Delon. I try to watch its sequel as soon as possible.
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