Claude Sautet - Max Et Les Ferrailleurs (1971) -

Unlike the gritty, handheld look of many 70s crime films, Sautet uses precise, elegant framing. The contrast between Max’s sterile, high-society world and the muddy, chaotic scrapyards of the thieves highlights the class divide and Max's voyeuristic intrusion into their lives. Why It Matters

The film follows Max (Michel Piccoli), a wealthy, detached detective born into a family of judges. Frustrated by criminals who escape justice through technicalities, he decides to "create" a crime he can actually punish. Claude Sautet - Max et les ferrailleurs (1971)

Michel Piccoli plays Max with a terrifying, wax-like stillness. He is a man who has replaced blood with procedure. His inability to respond to Lily’s genuine warmth provides the film's tragic core. Unlike the gritty, handheld look of many 70s