I wondered why I found this DVD in the H section of my library. The answer came at the title screen when the British subtitles read, "Honor Among Thieves." (No relation to a recent movie.) To make matters more confusing, it was released in the U.S. as Grisbi but appears on IMDb by its literal translation, Don't Touch the Loot.
Big-time crook Max (Jean Gabin, long after his heyday) has recently stolen gold bars, planning to retire on them. Unfortunately for him, partner in crime Riton (René Dary) has an unfaithful girlfriend (Jeanne Moreau) who lets their secret slip to her other boyfriend, Angelo (Lino Ventura). Angelo's men abduct Riton for ransom, so Max enlists two more partners (Paul Frankeur and Michel Jourdan) to help confront them....
Mind you, Angelo had not been Max's enemy before then. There had been nonviolent tensions with mutual acquaintances, but Max had served as a peacemaker. That's one way to ensure that we root for an antihero. Max isn't exactly a gentleman thief -- he's not above slapping women or overseeing torture for interrogation -- but neither is he downright treacherous like the antagonist.
Reputedly, this film combines elements of French noir and American gangster flicks. I suppose there is more gunfire than usual for the former. Of course, the Hays Code at the time would not have allowed all the images of female nudity at a night club.
Don't get too excited: It starts slow. Before checking online, I could barely remember what happened in the first half. It's not even a long movie, at 94 minutes.
Nonetheless, I wasn't bored, and I got something out of TPAG eventually. It was high time I watched something like this again.
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