Le Samourai - Criterion Collection (1967)

Melvillian Ganster Movie

Fine transfer of one of Melville's ganster movies. Alain Delon draws his gun faster than the eye! Stylish and hilarious and set in an imaginary Paris, this is not at all a realistic movie - but it is simply excellent. June 26, 2008

Very stylish; very cool; very worthy of your time...

First things first; `Le Samourai' is a very, very cool movie. The vibe is just so fluid and stirring; you can't help but become one with the mood that is set by French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville. The first sequence alone is utter perfection; contract killer Jef Costello sprawled out across his bed, puffs of cigarette smoke rising to the ceiling and a lonely birdcage resting in the center of the room, the only sound being the constant and sporadic chirping of the frantic bird within its bars. The scene just got me so excited; instantly connected and longing for the film to proceed.

And proceed it did.

The film follows Jef Costello as he carries out a murder and then contends with double-crossing as well as an overzealous police detective. Costello promised a problem free hit, but when he leaves a witness alive his employers feel that he breached their contract, so they attempt to take his life. Narrowly escaping death, Costello decides to go after his employer, but this means enlisting the help of the said witness Valerie, a young and beautiful pianist. While he strikes a relationship with her, the Police Detective assigned to the murder begins to press firmly in on Costello, trying to force confessions out of the ones closest to him; most notably his girlfriend Jane.

Melville does an outstanding job of keeping the pace and capturing pure tension, utilizing his surroundings to stir up emotions within the audience. I love films that work with silence, because I feel that feelings in general are felt and not heard. By just watching the facial expressions on a man's (or woman's) face; by watching the way their body moves in relation to what he sees can help instill raw emotion within us. `Le Samourai' does this to the extreme. The opening scene is proof in the pudding, but there are many scenes where dialog is non-existent, the audience being allowed to truly connect to the mind of the characters as apposed to their mouths.

Performance wise this film is very strong. First and foremost one must recognize Alain Delon's masterful performance as Jef. He has such a calm and restrained demeanor that adds layers to his characters development. He allows us to truly understand who he is and why he does what it is that he does. Francois Perier also does an outstanding job as the Police Detective hot on his trail. He captures the zeal and determination behind his characters every move and action. Caty Rosier is stunning and endearing as Valerie. There is an air of mystery surrounding her character that she embellishes perfectly, creating a sense of longing in the viewer as he or she desires to learn more about her. To me though, the knockout performance comes from Nathalie Delon who plays Jef's girlfriend and alibi Jane. There is one scene in particular, when she is confronted in her apartment by Perier's character, that really solidifies my feelings for her. This is the greatest scene of dialog in the film, and the two actors embody their emotions magically; Delon in particular just ravishing the scene.

`Le Samourai' is a magnificent film, part gangster film, part film noir; and if you look close enough it is definitely part Samaria film. The acting is top notch, the direction is top notch and the script is expertly woven to draw in the audience and never let them go. May 29, 2008

Greatest Film Noir--Melville's Masterpiece

Melville's masterpiece on solitude remains perhaps the greatest film noir ever made with the coolly stylish and icily detached cinematography of Henri Decae capturing a series of gray, rainy day tableaux upon which Alain Delon wanders as the quintessential existential loner--a meditative assassin in love with death. April 15, 2008

Melville: Génie de l'ambiance

Alain Delon fait une de ces meilleures performance. Le James Bonds «mauvais garçon» français par excellence. Dans ce film, Alain Delon joue le rôle d'un tueur à gage, un peu (beaucoup) frimeur qui va jusqu'à mettre des gants blancs lorsqu'il commet un meurtre. Il vit dans l'anonymat, est un véritable chat noir impossible a voir au milieu de la nuit et subtil pendant le jour. L'intérêt du film, à mon humble avis, n'est vraiment pas l'histoire qui en somme est un film noir typique où l'histoire est facile a prévoir. Le génie du film c'est l'esthétique, l'ambiance, les jeux de caméras, d'angles et bien sur la facile qu'à Alain Delon de s'accomoder d'un parreil rôle. La reconstitution du film qui aurait pu être un film de Gangster américain des années 30's est vraiment bien reconstitué. L'ambiance jazz, les longues pouffées de cigarettes qui nous rappelle le côté cool de fumer. Les long regard entre Delon et la joueuse de pianos...tous est là pour créer une ambiance sexy et noire.
Un très bon film a possédé dans sa collection March 9, 2008

Le Samourai

There's no doubt-this is one of the coolest movies I've ever seen. Easy to understand John Woo and Quentin Tarantino's fascination. However, if exploding buildings and high-speed carchases is what you're looking for, this isn't it. In Le Samourai it is all about the details, and if you are addicted to more modern, faster-paced Hollywood-trash, you'll probably find it boring. If not, sit back and enjoy Alain Delon/Jef Costello in Melville's best film. December 20, 2007

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