Jean-Pierre Melville is considered the spiritual godfather of French New Wave. He’s is also one of filmmakers behind the creation of the modern crime thriller like Un Flic. Next month Studiocanal UK are set to give the film a 4K UHD upgrade in November part of their new Studiocanal Classics collection.

The crime thriller was released in 1972 and Melville’s final film and blessed with his trademark austere style. With sparse dialogue and an emphasis on visual storytelling, His distinctive style is at its most stripped-back and abstract. A study of solitude and morality, exploring the tensions between friendship and betrayal, and the codes of loyalty and honour.

The all-star cast includes Melville regular, Alain Delon (Le Cercle Rouge, Le SamouraÏ). Taking on the role of conflicted police commissioner Édouard Coleman – a departure from the professional criminals  in Melville’s previous films. Richard Crenna (Body Heat) co-stars as Simon, a Parisian nightclub owner, thief and drug trafficker whose criminal activities are unknown to Coleman until after the two men become friends, while Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) plays Cathy, the beautiful and elusive woman who is caught between them.

Synopsis | In Melville’s final feature film, UN FLIC, Parisian police chief Édouard Coleman’s (Alain Delon) life investigating violent crimes has left him feeling despondent. After beginning an affair with a beautiful but cold woman named Cathy (Catherine Deneuve), he befriends her boyfriend, Simon (Richard Crenna), a local nightclub owner. Unbeknownst to Édouard, however, Simon is also a ruthless bank robber and drug smuggler who is planning one final heist. Édouard is forced to pursue Simon after learning about his true identity.

Extras:

• Introduction by Jean-Baptiste Thoret
• Gaby Revisited by Stéphane du Mesnildot
• Looking Towards the Future: An Analysis by Bernard Benoliel
• The Double Life of a Cop: The Two Cuts of Melville’s Final Film
• Un Flic Revisited by Bernard Benoliel and Jean-Baptiste Thoret

French Language with English subtitles / Cert: 12 / Running time: 100mins

Un Flic arrives on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on 16th November.

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