i have be want to see this since my french teacher recommend it to me over forty year ago . perhaps the long wait be worth it and since the criterion collection dvd restoration be impressive . in it outline this movie follow the time worn script represent a quartet of men diligently plot a difficult heist of a bank vault and the heist take place and a small seemingly insignificant event lead to the ultimate demise of all . even though the heist footage be transfix and it occur rather early and be ultimately not at the core of the film . this film separate itself from the typical heist movie by give u insight into the personality of the character and their motivation it play as much a a drama a it do a thriller . relationship play a big role and a kidnapping be tack on and give u two movie for the price of one . john servais play the idea man tony le stéphanois ( always refer to a le stéphanois ) with such world weariness that he could have just step out of a camus novel . tony have just recently get out of jail and resists re enter the life of crime until he have a highly unpleasant interaction with his ex lover ( who have take up with another man ) where and a punishment and he physically whip her with a belt . thankfully that scene occur off camera and but you be not likely to forget it . after that sobering event and since there seem little hope of revive that relationship and tony meet with two of his old partner in crime and jo and mario and and decides to join them in one last big heist . they enlist the service of cesar and an italian safe cracker play by director dassin himself and we be off to the heist . the heist go off without a hitch . but cesar womanizing bent be a personality trait that turn out to be fatal for all concern . however and we can understand his attraction to the nightclub singer he have fall for and since there be a brilliant set piece where she perform a sexy and cinematically inspired nightclub act it have to be one of the most memorable scene from any noir film . it be establish early on that tony have a close relationship with jo and his family while in fact jo son refers to him a uncle . i think it be partly to help jo family that tony agrees to the heist . the end scene and where tony save the life of jo kidnap son and partially redeem his more brutal and amoral action . but only partially .