Borsalino

It would be understandable to write off Borsalino (1970) as a Gallic take on The Sting, pairing up two legendary French leading men (Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon) in a depression-era tale of high-stakes criminality and con-artistry.  But the film actually beat Redford and Newman’s box-office smash to the punch by three years, incorporating much of the same bromantic playfulness and even a similar music score.   

After settling their differences over a shared love interest, Capella and Siffredi (Belmondo and Delon respectively) combine forces to work their way up the criminal ladder of 1930s Marseille. Earning a reputation as fixers who sabotage the competition for a fee, the mismatched duo soon finds themselves marked men after another romantic entanglement gone wrong.  But their balanced skill set of daring and ingenuity eventually gives them a shot at the top.  Question is, how long can they stay there?

 

Based on the exploits of genuine gangsters Paul Carbone and Francois Spirito, the film was shepherded by star Alain Delon who was forced to substitute fictional characters and share screen credit – and an equitable number of close-ups - with Belmondo.  There’s chemistry and friction at work here; but there’s no denying that the actors work incredibly well together.  The movie opens with an extended fist fight that perfectly represents their power struggle through the rest of the film…and behind the scenes.  

 

Unlike The Sting, Borsalino isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty.  It doesn’t dodge the trappings of the gangster film, letting loose with a barrage of bullets and blood squibs when the story demands it.  The story weaves through a predictable number of dirty deals and double crosses, but even when the script falters the two leads always hold your interest.  It’s more successful as a buddy film than a biopic, but Borsalino (named after the hats popular during the era) still comes out on top of Newman and Redford’s overrated collaboration any day.

 

Arrow Video’s limited-edition Blu-ray comes with an audio commentary, interviews with creative personnel,  an illustrated collector’s booklet, fold-out poster, lobby cards and newly commissioned sleeve artwork.

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