This Alain Resnais film is just as enigmatic as its subject. As the 1930s French swindler, Jean Paul Belmondo gives one of his best performances. His Stavisky is indeed a crook, but he's also depressed, neurotic and obsessive. Stavisky, whose shenanigans involving phony bank bonds nearly crippled the French economy, is a man of no scruples and Belmondo excels --- he's likable and detestable at the same time. Resnais bends time and space & transports what could have been a run- of-the-mill gangster yarn into much more. It's a character study of a man without any character. Shot in the south of France and featuring a supporting cast that includes Michel Lonsdale and Claude Rich (as a very dogged inspector), this film is a classic. Charles Boyer gives a great late career performance as a count long past his prime, personifying everything Belmondo wants to have (and squander!). The oddball music score is by Stephen Sondheim!