Bob Le Flambeur

In Bob Le Flambeur, a trolly's dawn descent into Pigalle would seem to suggest the start of a story about all that is hellish in Montmatre. Jean-Pierre Melville however softens the inhabitants of this hell with all the greys in the opening scenes. Mellville goes on to introduce (Le Grand) Bob as an "old young" man, further greying typically established boundaries.
Our first view of Bob is a reflection of an older gentleman, suggesting the stories reflective manner that becomes evident as the film progresses. The location - tiny gambling den - suggests Bob is a small time hood. Later his comment that he was content never to step beyond the city's limits confirms this was always the case.
Something else is suggested in the opening scenes. Black and white chess board walls surround the players in the opening scene. And in the next, black and white dominoes walls suggest the same: life is a game with winners and losers. The player's shadow playing on Bob as he enters suggests that Bob is but a piece in the game of life and can little influence the final outcome.
Bob gambles in the face of a dwindling account, not because he thinks he can influence or somehow cheat a capricious fate. He continues to gamble because he accepts that is who he is, and knows that fate will eventually come around albeit independent of his needs.
As a romantic, Bob is generous with money (tips newspaper man, loads seed money to Yvonne, initially only asks Marco how much he needs, gives Anne money for a room), wisdom (to Paulo) and standards (refuses to help a much younger and bigger Marco after finding out why he has to skip town).
Bob is at the end of his fortune, but still the optimist. His luck eventually changes at the races where fate, for the moment, seems to smile on Bob. He decides to go to a nearby Casino where he loses all his money, but finds when there will be a lot of cash in the Casino's safe. This bit of information sets the stage for the gamble of a lifetime.
Despite all the detail, the planning, the practice the job doesn't go as plan. All human foibles imaginable contribute to foil the robbery. During the time it's falling apart, Bob gambles at the Casino, and by morning's light has won the 800 million his crew was to rob.
As the rest of the crew arrives at the Casino, so do the Police. A gunfight ensues, and fate turns on Paulo and the rest of the crew.
The end result is that no matter how carefully or deligently we plan, it is fate that determines who wins and who loses. And that all of us are only one piece in the game of life whose outcome is determined only by fate.