Dir. Jacques Becker, 1954. 94 min. B&W. DCP.
With Jean Gabin, Jeanne Moreau, Lino Ventura, René Dary
In French with English subtitles

Jean Gabin made a resounding comeback in 1954 with his world-weary but debonair performance as Max, an aging gangster whose retirement is foiled when his loose-lipped associate gets kidnapped by a ruthless mobster who wants Max’s loot from a last big heist.

While Becker defined the atmospheric shimmer, existential complexity, and underlying tension of French film noir with this instant classic, Touchez pas le grisbi is also a deeply affecting study of aging and loyalty, in which Becker navigates Paris’s louche nightclubs and underworld haunts to create a universal picture of friendship tested and honored.

The 7:30pm screening will be introduced by Guillaume Boure. Mr. Boure has previously worked in the field of moving image preservation in film institutes and laboratories in New York, London and Paris.