La Scoumoune

Giovanni, a Série Noire writer, here adapted and directed his own novel about the Marseille underworld, previously filmed in 1961 (also with Belmondo) by Jean Becker as Un Nommé la Rocca. Ineptitude in both departments makes a hash of the theme of underworld loyalties so beautifully handled in Melville's Le Deuxiéme Souffle (also based on a Giovanni novel). Even the original title (meaning 'the jinx') becomes pointless, because Belmondo's crude tough guy performance makes the persistent failure of his gallant efforts on behalf of a friend look more like bad scripting than the consequence of changing underworld ways.