{"id":30838,"date":"2026-03-17T14:43:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/?p=30838"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:48:08","slug":"claude-sautet-classe-tous-risques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/2026\/03\/17\/claude-sautet-classe-tous-risques\/","title":{"rendered":"Claude Sautet: Classe tous risques"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Classe tous risques<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
d. Claude Sautet (1960)<\/span>
The Criterion Collection<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today The Criterion Collection is releasing a 4K edition of Claude Sautet’s 1960 gangster noir Classe tous <\/em>risqes<\/i>, and it is beautiful! It never fails to amaze me to see an old black-and-white film in ultra-high definition: the full range from luminous whites to deep blacks, with a rich spectrum of grays in between. This is a film that deserves this treatment. The screen captures below are from the Blu-ray, which also looks amazing, but just know the 4K looks even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was also delighted by the supplemental material on this disc. I know, I usually save that discussion for the end of my review, but this film has such an interesting history that it’s worth bringing in here as part of the setup. It is based on a novel by the French author Jos\u00e9 Giovanni, whose work also served as the basis for films by Jacques Becker (Le trou<\/em>, one of my favorites) and Jean-Pierre Melville (Le deuxi\u00e8me souffle<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giovanni was not a man to be admired. He collaborated with the Nazis during the occupation and was later convicted of a triple homicide committed in 1946. And yet, his firsthand knowledge of the criminal underground and his skill as a writer have led to some fascinating and insightful films (I have not read the books). He appears in one of the supplements, reflecting on his time on death row before his sentence was commuted. It was there that he met the man who would become the inspiration for Classe tous risques<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also <\/span>fascinating <\/span>is <\/span>learning <\/span>more <\/span>about <\/span>the <\/span>director, <\/span>Claude <\/span>Sautet. <\/span>He <\/span>had <\/span>spent <\/span>years <\/span>working <\/span>as <\/span>an <\/span>assistant <\/span>director <\/span>before <\/span>making <\/span>this <\/span>film, <\/span>and <\/span>that <\/span>experience <\/span>is <\/span>evident <\/span>throughout. <\/span>He <\/span>also <\/span>appears <\/span>in <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>supplements, <\/span>where <\/span>he <\/span>explains <\/span>his <\/span>desire <\/span>to <\/span>let <\/span>the <\/span>physicality <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>film <\/span>speak <\/span>for <\/span>itself. <\/span>The <\/span>result <\/span>is <\/span>a <\/span>film <\/span>with <\/span>relatively <\/span>little <\/span>dialogue <\/span>that <\/span>drops <\/span>us <\/span>directly <\/span>into <\/span>the <\/span>action, <\/span>asking <\/span>us <\/span>to <\/span>find <\/span>our <\/span>footing <\/span>through <\/span>the <\/span>language <\/span>of <\/span>cinema <\/span>itself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let’s get to the setup. Well before the opening scene of the film, Abel Davos (Lino Ventura) was a formidable and successful gangster in Paris. Before he met his wife and started a filmy, he committed crimes for which he is still awaiting the consequences. He’s been running for years, which is made all the more difficult since he now has a family he truly loves. For nearly a decade he has lived in relative safety in Milan, though back in France he has been tried in absentia and sentenced to death. But even that safety in Milan is beginning to slip. Sensing that the Italian authorities are closing in, he decides it’s time to take his wife and two young sons back to Paris, trusting that he can rely on old friends he helped in their own troubled moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film begins in the middle of this flight, and in its first twenty minutes, marked by very little dialogue, it follows Davos as he makes his way from Milan back to France with his family, aided by a loyal friend.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
On the left, Stan Krol as Raymond Naldi, Davos’s accomplice in Italy. On the right, Lino Ventura as Davos.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

From the start the flight is tense and violent. Sautet captures it on location in Milan, rendered in that gorgeous black and white. In <\/span>this <\/span>moment, <\/span>the <\/span>Duomo <\/span>di <\/span>Milano <\/span>rises <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>background, <\/span>anchoring <\/span>the <\/span>scene <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>real <\/span>and <\/span>imposing <\/span>world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, <\/span>we <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>audience <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span>entirely <\/span>know <\/span>what\u2019s <\/span>happening, <\/span>but <\/span>we <\/span>can <\/span>feel <\/span>the <\/span>anxiety, <\/span>the <\/span>dread, <\/span>even <\/span>as <\/span>the <\/span>children <\/span>play <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>background. <\/span>One <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>film\u2019s <\/span>great <\/span>strengths <\/span>is <\/span>the <\/span>way <\/span>it <\/span>observes <\/span>those <\/span>two <\/span>boys, <\/span>not <\/span>fully <\/span>aware <\/span>of <\/span>what <\/span>is <\/span>unfolding, <\/span>still <\/span>simply <\/span>being <\/span>children, <\/span>yet <\/span>faintly <\/span>attuned <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>tragedy <\/span>gathering <\/span>around <\/span>them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Simone France as Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Davos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As <\/span>Davos <\/span>draws <\/span>closer <\/span>to <\/span>Paris, <\/span>his \u201c<\/span>friends\u201d <\/span>grow <\/span>increasingly <\/span>uneasy <\/span>about <\/span>what <\/span>his <\/span>return <\/span>might <\/span>mean <\/span>for <\/span>their <\/span>now <\/span>comfortable <\/span>lives. <\/span>He <\/span>needs <\/span>help, <\/span>but <\/span>rather <\/span>than <\/span>risk <\/span>themselves, <\/span>they <\/span>send <\/span>a <\/span>young <\/span>man <\/span>who <\/span>has <\/span>never <\/span>even <\/span>met <\/span>him. <\/span>This <\/span>is <\/span>how <\/span>we <\/span>are <\/span>introduced <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>exceptional <\/span>Jean-<\/span>Paul <\/span>Belmondo, <\/span>playing <\/span>the <\/span>charming <\/span>criminal <\/span>\u00c9ric <\/span>Stark, <\/span>dispatched <\/span>to <\/span>guide <\/span>Davos <\/span>safely <\/span>into <\/span>Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Jean-Paul Belmondo as \u00c9ric Stark, wearing a wonderfully oversized coat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Skeptical <\/span>of <\/span>his <\/span>friends\u2019 <\/span>intentions, <\/span>Davos <\/span>nevertheless <\/span>has <\/span>little <\/span>choice <\/span>but <\/span>to <\/span>place <\/span>his <\/span>trust <\/span>in <\/span>this <\/span>young <\/span>man.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
More of the film’s lovely photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>an <\/span>easy <\/span>road. <\/span>As <\/span>Davos <\/span>flees <\/span>the <\/span>police, <\/span>who <\/span>always <\/span>seem <\/span>just <\/span>a <\/span>step <\/span>behind, <\/span>he <\/span>is <\/span>also <\/span>trying <\/span>to <\/span>secure <\/span>help <\/span>from <\/span>allies <\/span>who <\/span>would <\/span>rather <\/span>keep <\/span>their <\/span>distance. <\/span>And <\/span>through <\/span>it <\/span>all, <\/span>Sautet <\/span>never <\/span>lets <\/span>us <\/span>forget <\/span>that <\/span>Davos <\/span>is <\/span>tired, <\/span>wounded, <\/span>and <\/span>deeply <\/span>human, <\/span>even <\/span>if <\/span>he <\/span>is <\/span>not, <\/span>finally, <\/span>an <\/span>admirable <\/span>one.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This <\/span>was <\/span>my <\/span>first <\/span>time <\/span>seeing <\/span>this <\/span>film, <\/span>and <\/span>it <\/span>has <\/span>only <\/span>continued <\/span>to <\/span>grow <\/span>in <\/span>my <\/span>estimation <\/span>as <\/span>I <\/span>think <\/span>back <\/span>on <\/span>it. <\/span>Sautet <\/span>tells <\/span>a <\/span>striking <\/span>story <\/span>about <\/span>a <\/span>man <\/span>who <\/span>has <\/span>family <\/span>and <\/span>friends <\/span>and <\/span>yet <\/span>remains <\/span>profoundly <\/span>alone, <\/span>always <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>edge <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>precipice. <\/span>And <\/span>he <\/span>captures <\/span>that <\/span>isolation <\/span>not <\/span>only <\/span>in <\/span>moments <\/span>of <\/span>violence <\/span>or <\/span>flight, <\/span>but <\/span>in <\/span>quiet, <\/span>passing <\/span>details, <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>way <\/span>Davos, <\/span>walking <\/span>down <\/span>the <\/span>street, <\/span>lowers <\/span>his <\/span>gaze <\/span>toward <\/span>a <\/span>child <\/span>who <\/span>slips <\/span>by <\/span>him, <\/span>a <\/span>fleeting <\/span>reminder <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>life <\/span>he has but still <\/span>cannot <\/span>quite <\/span>hold <\/span>onto.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classe <\/span>tous <\/span>risques<\/span><\/em> is <\/span>a brutal, <\/span>lean, <\/span>unsentimental <\/span>film, <\/span>but <\/span>one <\/span>that <\/span>carries <\/span>a <\/span>surprising <\/span>emotional <\/span>weight. <\/span>Sautet <\/span>never <\/span>romanticizes <\/span>Davos\u2019s <\/span>life, <\/span>nor <\/span>does <\/span>he <\/span>rush <\/span>to <\/span>condemn <\/span>him; <\/span>instead, <\/span>he <\/span>allows <\/span>us <\/span>to <\/span>sit <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>consequences, <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>exhaustion, <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>small, <\/span>human <\/span>moments <\/span>that <\/span>flicker <\/span>in <\/span>and <\/span>out <\/span>as <\/span>everything <\/span>closes <\/span>in. <\/span>I\u2019m <\/span>so <\/span>glad <\/span>to <\/span>have <\/span>finally <\/span>seen <\/span>it, <\/span>and <\/span>even <\/span>more <\/span>glad <\/span>that <\/span>it <\/span>has <\/span>been <\/span>given <\/span>such <\/span>a <\/span>beautiful <\/span>release, <\/span>one <\/span>that <\/span>invites <\/span>us <\/span>to <\/span>look <\/span>closely <\/span>at <\/span>a <\/span>film <\/span>that <\/span>understands, <\/span>with <\/span>remarkable <\/span>clarity, <\/span>both <\/span>the <\/span>cost <\/span>of <\/span>a <\/span>life <\/span>lived <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>run <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>quiet <\/span>ache <\/span>of <\/span>what <\/span>is <\/span>left <\/span>behind.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today The Criterion Collection released an edition of a film new to me: Claude Sautet’s 1960 film Classe tous risques<\/em>. I loved it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"libsyn-item-id":0,"libsyn-show-id":0,"libsyn-post-error":"","libsyn-post-error_post-type":"","libsyn-post-error_post-permissions":"","libsyn-post-error_api":"","playlist-podcast-url":"","libsyn-episode-thumbnail":"","libsyn-episode-widescreen_image":"","libsyn-episode-blog_image":"","libsyn-episode-background_image":"","libsyn-post-episode-category-selection":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_thumbnail":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_theme":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_height":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_width":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_placement":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_download_link":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_download_link_text":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_custom_color":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-explicit":"","libsyn-post-episode":"","libsyn-post-episode-update-id3":"","libsyn-post-episode-release-date":"","libsyn-post-episode-simple-download":"","libsyn-release-date":"","libsyn-post-update-release-date":"","libsyn-is_draft":"","libsyn-new-media-media":"","libsyn-post-episode-subtitle":"","libsyn-new-media-image":"","libsyn-post-episode-keywords":"","libsyn-post-itunes":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-number":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-season-number":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-type":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-title":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-author":"","libsyn-destination-releases":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data-enabled":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data-input-enabled":false,"libsyn-post-episode-premium_state":"","libsyn-episode-shortcode":"","libsyn-episode-embedurl":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1527,799],"tags":[642],"coauthors":[505],"class_list":["post-30838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-claude-sautet","category-film-reviews","tag-criterion-collection"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Classe-Tous-Risques-Featured-Image.jpg?fit=700%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pqqvZ-81o","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30838"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31002,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30838\/revisions\/31002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30838"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}