The Thief of Paris
(Le Voleur)
With Jean-Paul Belmondo, Geneviève Bujold, Marie Dubois.
France/Italy, 1967, 35mm, color, 120 min.
French with English subtitles.
In the middle of a burglary, Georges Randal (Belmondo) recalls the events that led to his becoming one of Paris's master thieves. An orphan raised by his uncle, Georges enjoyed the security of a trust fund left to him by his dead parents and the admiration of his beautiful cousin Charlotte (Bujold). But when he returns from military service, he discovers that his uncle has embezzled his money and that his cousin is engaged to marry someone else. At Charlotte's engagement party, Georges makes off with the family's jewels, and in the process develops a taste for robbery. One of Malle's most underrated films, The Thief Of Paris features a wonderful ensemble cast that creates a vibrant portrait of the Paris demi-monde that becomes Georges's new home.
