"Director: Jean Pierre Melville"

• Le Samourai (1967) (Criterion Collection) UK Only | Blu Ray | (06/12/2021) from £23.98   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon (Purple Noon) plays Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts. After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armour of fedora and trench coat can protect him. An elegantly stylized masterpiece of cool by maverick director Jean-Pierre Melville (Army of Shadows), Le samouraï is a razor-sharp cocktail of 1940s American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop culture with a liberal dose of Japanese lonewarrior mythology.

• Melville Boxset | Blu Ray | (11/12/2017) from £49.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Jean-Pierre Melville (1917 1974) is one of the most revered French film directors of all time. Born in Paris during WW1, he was to become a member of the French resistance in the Second World War, an experience which he drew on in his later career as a film director, routinely plunging his characters into an underworld of secrecy and deception. The reluctant godfather of the French New Wave, Melville's highly individual style was influenced by the ideas of existentialism and surrealism, but arguably his greatest debt was to classical American cinema, the traditions of which he wove with inimitable style into his quintessentially French films. Hailed by many as the father of the French gangster movie, he was inspired by the classic film noirs of 1930s and 40s Hollywood, imbuing many his films with a sense of menace and impending peril, creating a sinister underworld to be traversed by his ubiquitous gun-toting hoodlums. This set contains six of his finest films, from his early bittersweet masterpiece, Bob Le Flambeur, to his final film, Un flic, his wonderfully fatalistic study of loss and deception; a fitting epitaph to one of the finest careers in contemporary cinema. Included Extras: LE DOULOS - NEW Interview with first assistant director Volker Schlondorff - 20 mins BOB LE FLAMBEUR - NEW retrospective documentary by the film critic Dominique Maillet - 20 mins LEON MORIN PRETRE - NEW Master class with Philippe Labro (friend and apprentice of Melville) + Rémy Grumbach (Melville's nephew) - 59 mins LE CERCLE ROUGE Interview with Le Cercle Rouge's first assistant director Bernard Stora 30mins Code Name Melville - 76mins) Interview with first assistant director Bernard Stora - 30mins Interview with novelist José Giovanni - 15mins Présentation by Ginette Vincendeau 21'30

• Army Of Shadows | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £9.39   |  Saving you £8.60 (91.59%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece about the French resistance went unreleased in the United States for thirty-seven years before its triumphant debut release in 2006. Atmospheric and gripping Army Of Shadows is Melville's most personal film featuring Lino Ventura Paul Meurisse Jean-Pierre Cassel and the incomparable Simone Signoret as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their own brand of honor in their fight against evil.

• Le Cercle Rouge | DVD | (26/04/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Melville's masterful take on the American crime thriller perfectly combines the Hollywood gangster film with his uniquely French style. Starring Alain Delon as a master theif Yves Montand as an alcoholic ex-cop and Italian star Gian-Maria Volonte as an escaped criminal the trio plot a daring heist of an upmarket Parisian jewellery store against impossible odds.

• Les Enfants Terribles | DVD | (30/08/2004) from £14.75   |  Saving you £5.24 (35.53%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Jean-Pierre Melville's second film, made in 1950, became a significant influence among French film-makers and earned Melville renown as a maverick who could do wonderful things outside his country's studio system. (Melville's independence was a forerunner of that enjoyed later in the decade by New Wave figures such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.) Les Enfants Terribles is based on a 1929 novel by poet and film-maker Jean Cocteau, who also wrote the script with Melville and according to some people interfered in everything from the casting (the rather stiff male lead was a Cocteau protégé) to the photography. Nevertheless, the story of a sister (an outstanding performance by Nicole Stephane) and brother (Edouard Dhermite) who withdraw into their own, insulated world to play out suggestively erotic dramas, has a fluid, lyrical movement that is part of a visionary whole. In some ways a harbinger of the coming pop narcissism of youth culture, Les Enfants Terribles is also a timeless tale of mythic exploration of existence and purpose. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Les Enfants Terribles | Blu Ray | (13/12/2021) from £15.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In this compelling tale of incestuous obsession, a teenage brother and sister, Paul and Elisabeth, create an intense, private world in their untidy shared single room. Within the room, they live, sleep, argue and play out their erotically charged games without heed to the real world going on around them. However, when outsiders intrude into their intensely private realm, the scene is set for tragedy. A hauntingly atmospheric adaptation of Jean Cocteau's 1929 claustrophobic hothouse novel, for which he also wrote the screenplay and provided the voice-over, the film is dominated by a performance of fierce intensity by Nicole Stéphane as the scheming heroine Elisabeth Les Enfants terribles brought two very different film-makers together for the first time the mercurial, multi-talented Jean Cocteau and the single-minded, self-sufficient Jean-Pierre Melville. Despite clashing with one another, what emerged is a unique film that is as true to Cocteau's vision as to Melville's. Special Features Newly restored in 4K and presented in High Definition Audio commentary by novelist and critic Gilbert Adair (2004) Interview with actress Nicole Stéphane (13 mins) Other extras TBC

• Le Cercle Rouge | Blu Ray | (13/09/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Master thief Corey is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime crossing paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic ex-cop. As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector and fate begins to seal their destinies. Taking its title from Buddhist Iore Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle Rouge combines honorable anti-heroes coolly atmospheric cinematography and breathtaking set pieces to create a masterpiece of crime cinema.

• L'Armee Des Ombres | DVD | (27/11/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  October 1942. The German occupation of France and the fate of a group of Resistance workers in Marseille.

• Le Cercle Rouge 4K | Blu Ray | (23/11/2020) from £49.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  ALAIN DELON, GIAN MARIA VOLONTÈ and YVES MONTAND star as the elegant, mis-matched trio, locked in an elaborate and dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with the inscrutable police inspector (ANDRÉ BOURVIL), who is determined to foil their attempts to pull off the perfect crime, despite being drawn irresistibly to his prey. As the day of the heist dawns, the story unfolds, with all four players determined to cheat fate. Extras: The Perfect Circle Under the Name of Melville Interview with Bernard Stora Interview with José Giovanni Ginette Vincendeau Presentation of Le Cercle Rouge

• The Jean-Pierre Melville Collection | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £55.87   |  Saving you £-10.88 (N/A%)   |  RRP £44.99

  Jean-Pierre Melville (1917 - 1974) is one of the most revered French film directors of all time. Born in Paris he was to become a member of the French Resistance in the Second World War an experience which he drew on as a film director creating underworlds of secrecy and deception. The reluctant godfather of the French New Wave Melville''s highly individual style was influenced by the ideas of existentialism and surrealism but arguably his greatest debt was to the American film noirs of 1930s and '40s Hollywood the traditions of which he wove with inimitable style into his quintessentially French films seeing him hailed by many as the father of the French gangster movie. This set contains six of his finest films from his early bittersweet masterpiece Bob Le Flambeur to his final film Un Flic his wonderfully fatalistic study of loss and deception; a fitting epitaph to one of contemporary cinema''s most exceptional careers. Titles Comprise: Army of Shadows (1969): Regarded as one of the best films ever made about wartime France. Members of the French resistance fight for freedom in the face of constant danger. Extras: Ginette Vincendeau Commentary / Le Journal de la Resistance - a 33 minute documentary / Melville short film Le Doulos (1962): An unforgettable story of trust betrayal and honour. A criminal just free from jail goes in search of revenge. Extras: Selected Scene Commentary / Ginette Vincendeau Introduction / Interview with Assistant Director Volker Schlondorff / Original Trailer Leon Morin Pretre (1961): Unforgettable drama set in occupied France. A beautiful but disillusioned woman becomes friends with a priest but her feelings for him soon deepen dangerously. Extras: Selected Scene Commentary / Ginette Vincendeau Introduction / Interview with Assistant Director Volker Schl''ndorff / Original Trailer Le Cercle Rouge (1970): A suave jewel thief teams up with a fugitive and a reckless ex-cop to carry out an elaborate heist. Extras: Ginette Vincendeau Commentary and Introduction / Interview with Assistant Director Bernard Stora / Original Trailer Bob Le Flambeur (1956): An early foray into the gangster genre Melville's self-confessed 'love letter to Paris' follows the world-weary eponymous hero Bob a down on his luck gambler embarking on his final crime. Extras: Introduction by Melville expert Ginette Vincendeau. Un Flic (1972): A Parisian police commissioner and the leader of a gang of criminals in love with the same woman clash when a daring bank robbery takes place.

• Le Silence de la mer | Blu Ray | (23/01/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Le Silence De La Mer - Jean-Pierre Melville's debut film - is an adaptation of the novella of the same title by celebrated French Resistance author Vercors (the pen name of Jean Bruller). Clandestinely written in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France and furtively distributed, it captured the spirit of the moment, and quickly became a staple of the Resistance.Melville's cinematic adaptation - partly shot in Vercors' own house - tells the story of a German officer, Werner von Ebrennac (Howard Vernon), who is billeted to the house of an elderly man (Jean-Marie Robain) and his niece (Nicole Stphane) in occupied France.One of the most important French films to deal with World War II, and a landmark in Melville's distinguished oeuvre, Le Silence De La Mer is a lyrical, timeless depiction of the experiences and struggles of occupation and resistance.

• Un Flic | DVD | (25/06/2007) from £8.99   |  Saving you £9.00 (100.11%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The French Crime Classic From The True Master Of The Genre Coleman (Alain Delon) is a burned-out detective who has seen too much pain. His friend Simon (Richard Crenna) is a brilliant thief who fears no law. Between them is the beautiful woman (Catherine Deneuve) they both love. But when Simon plans the ultimate heist of a train full of mob money the two men find themselves hurtling towards a final showdown of fate friendship and betrayal. From the stunning opening bank robbery sequence through its powerful performances Un Flic is the work of a true master. This is the final film by the legendary Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Samourai Bob Le Flambeur) renowned as the creator of the modern gangster movie and credited as a major influence on such directors as John Woo and Quentin Tarantino.

• Army of Shadows | Blu Ray | (08/04/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece completes his triptych about the German Occupation of France and the Resistance after Le Silence de la mer and Leon Morin, pretre. Now I have said everything about the war he told the newspaper Paris-Presse. Atmospheric and gripping, Army of Shadows is Melville's most personal film, featuring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and the incomparable Simone Signoret as intrepid underground fighters who must grapple with their own brand of honour in their battle against Hitler's regime. Special Features: Army of Shadows - The Hidden Side of the Story Documentary Booklet on the Movie Written by Professor and Film Critic Ginette Vincendeau

• Le Cercle Rouge | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Master thief Corey is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime crossing paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic ex-cop. As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector and fate begins to seal their destinies. Taking its title from Buddhist Iore Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle Rouge combines honorable anti-heroes coolly atmospheric cinematography and breathtaking set pieces to create a masterpiece of crime cinema.

• Bob Le Flambeur | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £8.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (122.36%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Once a renowned criminal Bob the Gambler now contents himself with gambling frequenting casinos in the shady districts of Paris. He is convinced his gangster days are over - until he meets up with an old accomplice who has news which interests him. The casino at Deauville has a safe which is loaded with several hundred million francs. Short of cash Bob decides to plan one last great robbery. He recruits a number of former fellow criminals and plans the theft to the greatest detail. Unfortunately on the day of the robbery things rapidly begin to go wrong. Bob's luck appears to have taken an unexpected turn - for the better.

• Alain Delon - The Screen Icons Collection | DVD | (09/05/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £34.99

  A 5-disc collection of movies starring Alain Delon. Un Flic (1972): A bank robbery in small town ends with one of the robbers being wounded. The loot from the robbery is just an asset for the even more spectacular heist... Plein Soleil (1960): Tom Ripley is sent to Europe by Mr. Greenleaf to fetch his spoiled playboy son Philip and bring him back home to the States. This film is based on the book ""The Talented Mr Ripley"". L'Eclisse (1962): A young woman meets a vital young man but the love affair is doomed because of the man's materialistic nature. Traitement De Choc (1973): Doctors at a rejuvenation clinic discover a formula that will prevent aging. However it involves harvesting the blood and body parts of young men a process that the doctors aren't particularly averse to. Flic Story (1971): This movie depicts the authentic story of the hunt for the dangerous criminal Emile Buisson who escaped from prison in 1947...

• Le Doulos | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £20.23   |  Saving you £-2.24 (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le doulos have only one guiding principle: Lie or die. A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo stars as enigmatic gangster Silien who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Faugel (Serge Reggiani) just released from the slammer and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal twisty and multilayered policier who will be left to trust? Shot and edited with Melville's trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylized dialogue and performances Le doulos (slang for an informant) is one of the filmmaker's most gripping crime dramas.

• Leon Morin, Pretre | DVD | (02/03/2009) from £8.34   |  Saving you £9.65 (115.71%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Unforgettable drama set in occupied France. A beautiful but disillusioned woman becomes friends with a priest but her feelings for him soon deepen dangerously.

• Le Doulos | DVD | (26/04/2004) from £11.05   |  Saving you £8.94 (44.70%)   |  RRP £19.99

  One of Melville's own favourite films in which ambiguity is the name of the game as a convicted burglar completes his incarceration only to get himself straight back into trouble...

• Le Silence de la mer (Masters of Cinema) | DVD | (25/06/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Le Silence De La Mer - Jean-Pierre Melville's debut film - is an adaptation of the novella of the same title by celebrated French Resistance author Vercors (the pen name of Jean Bruller). Clandestinely written in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France and furtively distributed it captured the spirit of the moment and quickly became a staple of the Resistance. Melville's cinematic adaptation - partly shot in Vercors' own house - tells the story of a German officer Werner von Ebrennac (Howard Vernon) who is billeted to the house of an elderly man (Jean-Marie Robain) and his niece (Nicole Stphane) in occupied France. Resisting the intruder the uncle and niece refuse to speak to the German officer who warms himself by the fire each evening espousing idealistic views about the relationship between France and Germany. These propagandised illusions are shattered however when a trip to Paris reveals the truth of what is really going on. One of the most important French films to deal with World War II and a landmark in Melville's distinguished oeuvre Le Silence de la mer is a lyrical timeless depiction of the experiences and struggles of occupation and resistance. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Melville's debut film for the first time on home video or DVD in the UK.