But the film also consists of both outdoor and indoor scenes that are fascinating to watch. The indoor scenes for reasons just said and the outdoor scenes as more of a historical lesson if anything. This is post war Paris captured on film with cars and buildings acting as brilliant, timeless and irreplaceable mise-en-scene. And yet, Bob the Gambler has enough essence of noir, crime and innovation to keep it worth watching. There's a shot of a nipple in the film that surely would've had censors doing somersaults, several suggestions that sex has happened is implied by way of the scenes ending and there's even room for a shot from the backseat of a travelling car as the two occupants drive to their destination and maybe share a glance.

 

Two things: 1. Would a Hollywood film from the time include such a scene or just get them there without the journey and 2. The shot is eerily similar to that of the one in Goddard's 1960 film Breathless where Michael is describing what he likes about the girl sitting next to him in list form. If Melville had been a bit bolder and included some jump cuts, the New Wave would've started there and then – no question.

 

There is further proof that the film has aged well and that the director was thinking big at the time in the script.My personal favourite scene is when they're going over the heist plan and one of the robbers stands to attention as non diegetic music stars up before Bob yells at him to sit back down and then the music immediately stops. Melville toys with us once again and has fun with the soundtrack simultaneously whilst probably having a stab at Hollywood for the time. That said, the script is full of witty putdown and lines that don't advance the story but are truly 'real'; very akin to today's Hollywood films after Tarantino gave everybody permission to do so.

 

Bob the Gambler is a number of things and utilises a number of conventions that whilst watching in today's world,seem very familiar to us thanks to recent films but this was France, mid 1950s and even more fascinating: pre-French New Wave. If ever there was a film to watch in order to see what French film was like 'pre-movement', then this is it. Not one to be brushed aside.