Half a century after the premiere, ‘Borsalino‘ directed by Jacques Deray has all the features, charm and humor of French films of the 1970s and at the same time is alert, modern and has a good chance that if relaunched today it would be an entertainment that can be appreciated by the contemporary public. Much of the merit is due to the two protagonists and great stars who were and are Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. However, ‘Borsalino‘ has many other qualities and motives that help it successfully passing the test of time, being an excellent combination of a period mob movie with action comedy, with a French flavor and a well-distilled American influence. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for quality escapism these days.
It is one of those films in which the main characters are mobsters but which I could not characterize as ‘film noir’. The reason is that the atmosphere is far from dark, and the approach is humorist and relaxed. We can discuss the morality of the so attractive portrayal of the mob characters that dominated the life of the Mediterranean port in the 1930s, but it’s hard not to fall under the spell of the two main characters, or of the colorful descriptions of the ‘milieu’ – bars, streets, markets, houses of the new and older riches. ‘Borsalino‘ is obviously influenced by the most successful American films of the time – ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid‘ – but I think it also influenced the American films that came after him. Martin Scorsese, I believe, saw it more than once.
The screen presences of Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo are directed, choreographed and filmed carefully and balanced so that none of the great stars shadows the other. The opening scene and the final of the movie are anthological. The cast is well chosen and the interpretation of the entire team of actors is remarkable. In addition to the famous protagonists in the main roles, I would also mention the presence of Michel Bouquet, an actor specialized in secondary roles of corrupt politicians and lawyers. Absolutely remarkable is the soundtrack that accompanies the action and the music of Claude Bolling, taking us from the French cancan, going through chansons of that times, and until the jazz of the 20 ‘and 30’. ‘Borsalino‘ was 50 years ago and is still today a true delight.