Labeling Two Men in Town as a crime film is
somewhat deceptive, although there are crimes committed and the main character
is a recently paroled criminal. The criminal activity we see if carried out by
characters other than the protagonist, who spends a majority of the film
attempting to earn redemption for his past. This is a drama about the
difficulty of rehabilitation, though it does so with the narrative manipulation
of a particularly villainous police officer. Created as a strong statement
against the death penalty in France
Alain Delon
stars as Gino, a safecracker released from prison with the help of a prison
reformer named Germaine (Jean Gabin), whose daughter he has become involved
with. Obtaining a humble job soon after his release, Gino attempts to start a
new life. These simple goals are soon interrupted, however, with the arrival of
former criminal accomplices attempting to convince Gino to return to crime.
Although he dismisses these offers rather quickly, the fact that Gino interacts
with the criminal element brings suspicion on him by the inspector that put him
in prison. The chief inspector (Michel Bouquet) begins following Gino around,
harassing him until he finally reaches a boiling point.
Though there is
criminal activity within the film, the reason I would classify this as a drama
rather than crime is due to the fact that our protagonist stays far removed
from most of the action. This makes Two
Men in Town about the struggles of rehabilitation instead, especially when
society expects you to slip up again. The simple premise eventually gets pushed
to the point of melodrama in order to make the necessary statement about
capital punishment, offering none of the escapist entertainment usually
provided with crime films. Performances are strong and the message is clear,
though there is little enjoyable within the material.
The Blu-ray
release includes a new 4K restoration of the film, which looks great despite
having no real flashy sequences to show off style. Also included on the high
definition disc is a feature-length audio commentary by Charles Zigman, who was
Jean Gabin’s biographer. There is also an original theatrical trailer and the
re-release trailer included in extras.
Entertainment Value:
4.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
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