Search: Starring Alain Delon

Thanks to Melville's spare approach, the film feels cool in both senses of the phrase and there's time to really focus on the look.

The idea of a world in which characters may find more comfort in alienation than connection is something that speaks as much to our society as it reflects the universe of 1960s Italy.

This beautiful and intelligent film is generally regarded as Visconti’s masterpiece.

Losey had shown how adept he was at claustrophobic interiors before, with the likes of The Servant, but here he also shows a flair for more abstract sweeping cinema.

Deray makes his characters sweat metaphorically as well as physically as his film morphs from erotic romance into psychological thriller.

Even as the story grows darker, scenes teeter on the edge of being overexposed.

Terence Young brings a number of elements from Japanese cinema into the film.

Emotions run deep and tragedy is as predictable as rust. This is Visconti at the pinnacle of his powers.

It's bold, impetuous and willing to bite off far more than it can chew. One doesn't see enough of this sort of thing these days.