BORSALINO AND CO

France, 1974, 91 minutes, Colour.
Alain Delon, Catherine Rouvel, Richard Cucciola.
Directed by Jacques Deray.

Borsalino fans could look forward with pleasure to its sequel. However, in four years, gangster films have swamped the screens and tend to look alike and this film looks to have been influenced more by The Godfather than by the original. This means that most of the film is taken up with violent gang warfare. Missing is Jean-Paul? Belmondo's genial presence and the film relies on Alain Delon's granite relentlessness against Ricardo Cucciola's fascist rival. The film is an interim exercise as it promises "to be continued" as the gang moves to US prospects. It is a reasonable gangster film but seems somewhat hollow compared with Borsalino.

1. The overall impact of this film, in terms of interest and enjoyment?

2. Did the film present itself as a sequel to an original? How much was it influenced by the original? Was it in harmony with the original? Stars, photography, musical themes, atmosphere? How much was it influenced by the American gangster trend, for example, The Godfather? The Godfather kind of violence?

3. How interesting a picture of France in the 20's did the film give? The response of audiences to this atmosphere of gangsterism compared with the contemporary American gangsters? What is the difference?

4. Audience response to gangsters and their violent world? The immorality? Attraction, fascination, repulsion? Why?

5. How important was the re-creation of Marseilles at this time? The style of life there, the details of location, the gangsters fitting into this atmosphere? The fascist overtones of Volpone and the atmosphere of the 30's? The use of dates for time passing and the atmosphere of the 30's.

6. The film was a sequel. At the end it said 'To Be Continued'. Did this detract from the unity of the film in itself?

7. What kind of person was Roch Siffredi? Was his personal character explored in the film? The impression from the original? The self-made gangster, using old-fashioned violence methods? The nature of the violence that he used, the reasons for it, the extent of his ruthlessness? For what? The fact that he could be outmanoeuvred? His imprisonment, being used by Volpone, making him an alcoholic, confining him to the asylum? Were you glad when he escaped? The move to Genoa and the audience not knowing how he built up his fortunes again? The triumphant nature of his return, the reprise of the Borsalino theme? Audience response to the vengeance he wreaked on Volpone and his gang? The death of Volpone? As balanced with his relationship to Fernande and Lola? The prospects for Roch when he went to America?

8. The importance of the character of Fernande? Showing that Siffredi was compassionate to some and worthy of loyalty? Could the audience agree? The extent of his support? His role in the escape from the asylum? His role in the massacres?

9. Was Volpone an equal villain to counteract Siffredi in this film? His background and coming to Marseilles? The murder of his brother from the train? The personalities in his gang? Trying to be more modern, the use of police, finding status in society, being a public figure, seeking after respectability? Yet his fascist background? His being ready for the Nazis to take over France? The irony and horror of his death, a hellish burning? Insight into this kind of gangster?

10. How interesting were the gangsters in themselves? Were they distinguishable as characters or just gunmen? Sam and his loyalty to Volpone? Audience response to so many deaths?

11. The comment on police corruption, the Commissioner.. the policemen who didn't want anything to happen and let the gangsters work themselves out? The comment on police methods necessary for such times?

12. How well filmed were the massacres? Audience fascination and repulsion? Such sequences as in the nightclub, the drunkenness. the train sequences?

13. What were the reasons for making this film? What values were implied in its presentation of gangsters, admiration for what they could achieve., repulsion for the violence that they stood for?