Borsalino (1970)
Directed by Jacques Deray

Film Review

Borsalino, one of the most lavish French thrillers of the 1970s, sees rival actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon (at the time, the two most popular actors in France) sharing the limelight.  The pairing works surprisingly well, Delon's feline coolness and brooding introspection making the perfect complement to Belmondo's warmth and amiability.  The two actors had previously appeared together (when they were virtually unknown) in the 1958 film Sois belle et tais-toi, and would later work together on Patrice Leconte's 1998 film Une chance sur deux.

Alain Delon not only starred in Borsalino, he was also the film's producer - his second production credit after Alain Cavalier's L'Insoumis (1964).  The film's director was Jacques Deray, who had previously directed Alain Delon in La Piscine (1969) and who had acquired a solid reputation for his slick crime thrillers, which showed the influence of the great French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville.

Borsalino is among Jacques Deray's most successful and memorable films, a respectful yet slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to the classic American gangster films of the 1930s and '40s.  With its gangster theme, stylish look and strong production values, the film presages Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972).  Deray's recreation of 1930s Marseilles shows a meticulous attention to period detail, with sets, costumes and a catchy score that are instantly evocative of the era.  The film is beautifully shot and includes some impressive set piece action sequences.   Deray does occasionally get a little too preoccupied with the film's background, including sequences that look pretty but which serve neither the characterisation nor the plot.

The film was based on a novel by Eugène Saccomano which recounted the real-life exploits of the notorious gangsters Carbone and Spirito.  Indeed, the provision title for the film was "Carbone and Spirito", but that was changed to Boraslino (the name of a hat favoured by gangsters of the period) when the production team became very nervous about reprisals from the gangsters' descendants.

Despite their good working relationship when making the film, Delon and Belmondo fell out over the placing of Delon's name on the film's poster.  In his contract, it was stipulated that Belmondo's name would precede Delon's.  Delon justified the placing of his name on the poster because he was the producer.  This led to a court case which Belmondo ultimately won, although the two men claim that the affair did not injure their friendship.

Probably on the strength of its star billing, Borsalino was a huge commercial success, one of Alain Delon's most successful films as a producer.  The film's popularity led Delon and Deray to make Borsalino & Co. (1974), a formulaic sequel which lacks the charm and pace of the original film.

Film Synopsis

Marseille, 1930.  After completing a six month stretch in prison, Roch Siffredi returns to his girlfriend to find her in the company of another man, François Capella.  It is hate at first sight and Siffredi's first thought is to kill his rival.  After a fierce tussle the two men develop a liking for one another and they decide to go into partnership, forming one of the most notorious crime syndicates France has ever known.  Capella and Siffredi's early successes make them rich and confident, but in the process they accumulate some powerful enemies, in both the police and the local gangster community.  If they are to survive, the duo must wipe out all the opposition, and this includes the racketeer Poli and crooked lawyer Rinaldi.  The higher they climb, the more exposed Capella and Siffredi become.  It is only a matter of time before one of their mobster rivals takes them down.  Maybe it's time to get out whilst they can, before the bullets start heading in their direction...