A Cop

In the Paris underworld, the solitary commissioner Coleman (Alain Delon) pursues a group of criminals, unaware that their leader (Richard Crenna) is the lover of the woman (Catherine Deneuve) with whom he was involved in the past. Amid long silences and accusatory glances, the boundary between law and crime dissolves, revealing the moral ambiguity and loneliness of the protagonists, who move through a cold and unforgiving city. This elegant thriller was the last film by Melville — one of the most influential voices in modern cinema, who influenced directors such as Michael Mann, John Woo, and Quentin Tarantino.