Symphonie Pour Un Massacre (aka Symphony For A Massacre) (1963)

Five men with ties to businesses with varying degrees of legality pool their money to go in on one huge narcotics deal that can set them up for life. But one (Jean Rochefort) decides he wants it all so he concocts a plan to steal the money. But he isn't as clever as he thinks he is and deceit, betrayal, double crosses and murder follow. Based on the novel LES MYSTIFIES by Alain Reynaud Fourton and directed by Jacques Deray (BORSALINO). This is a marvelous heist thriller done with style and tightly directed by Deray. That he's able to keep the suspense momentum strong is commendable considering that if you pay attention very early in the movie, you're pretty much able to figure out exactly where it's going to go. While the use of the word massacre in the film's title is an exaggeration, by the movie's end we still have five of the film's seven lead characters dead (though not all at once). The ensemble cast is excellent right down the line and a shout out to Claude Renoir's expressive B&W lensing. If you're into heist thrillers, this is for you! With Claude Dauphin, Charles Vanel, Michel Auclair, Michele Mercier, Daniela Rocca and Jose Giovanni.