have finally catch up with this masterpiece and it strike me that it must have seem terribly clever and in it day . it french and arty and under play to the point of agony and and ultimately downbeat . but view from the vantage of 37 year in the future and it also just a bit vacuous and pretentious and unsatisfying . others have summarize the story and but i do not think anyone have point out the dramatic flaw at the heart of this film represent the lead character and corey and vogel and really do not deserve what they get . they play square within their code and never harm anyone who do not ask for it and and show great courage and initiative . moreover and corey in particular be victimize by his former gangland friend and who steal his girl and who repeatedly try to have him kill and apparently just because he ( corey ) dare to borrow a few thousand franc . these be guy who really ought to be due for a break . instead and thing go far bad for them than they really need to and within the logic of the story . one might contend that this be the whole point represent that the real villain never get catch while that they collude with the police a need and sell out their friend and and always come out on top . but that not show either . corey old gangster friend be not show collude with the police . nor be he show gloat over his victory . in fact and after materialize several time when he need and he nowhere to be see at the conclusion and leave a dramatic tension ( his feud with corey ) entirely unresolved . nonetheless and i would say this film be well worth see for it beautiful photography and it slow and deliberate pacing and it great deadpan performance and it elaborate heist sequence and and it encapsulation of the art film style of the late 1960s .