**Jean-Pierre Melville** (born Jean-Pierre Grumbach, 1917-1973) was an influential French film director, considered a master of the film noir genre. Known for his dry, minimalistic style and metropolitan aesthetic, his films explore themes of loyalty, solitude, betrayal, and the codes of honor within the criminal underworld.

A pioneer of the French *polar* (crime film genre), he drew from American film noir, developing a dark and unique vision. Among his most celebrated works are classics such as *Bob le flambeur* (1956), *Le Doulos* (1962), the iconic *Le Samouraï* (1967) – starring Alain Delon in the archetypal role of the lone assassin –, *L'Armée des ombres* (1969), a somber portrayal of the French Resistance, and *Le Cercle Rouge* (1970). His aesthetic, characterized by silences and melancholic characters, profoundly influenced generations of filmmakers.