Le Samouraï
1967 Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
Synopsis
Hitman Jef Costello is a perfectionist who always carefully plans his murders and who never gets caught...
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"That's how you became unemployed."
#90 on Berken's Favorite Movies Of All TimeThere's fewer greater feelings in the life of a cinephile than starting a new movie by a new director and immediately becoming aware that you are in the hands of a master.
Le Samourai opens to a quote that introduces our protagonist as the solitary king of his own jungle and a mise en scène that does the same twice over. In the startlingly accomplished first shot our protagonist occupies a tiny portion of the screen yet nevertheless dominates it, both with his gaze and the casual puffs of smoke that he releases into the air, as if it too were his own. The dank and lonely…
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There is no solitude greater than that of the samurai unless it be that of a tiger in the jungle... perhaps...
There's a reason the word suave originates from the French language. This fantastic film noir, from its opening shot, swept me along accompanied by smooth jazzy music and told me the story of an incredibly intriguing protagonist.
Alain Delon is captivating. I watched him in a daze as he portrayed the steely eyed, methodical and outwardly emotionless killer. His look in this film has an iconic feel to it and, apart from being an important element in the first half of the film, really strengthens this film's fantastic style.
Melville is almost as methodical as his hero. He structures…
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Film 45 of The December Project
Great ways to be very self-conscious without even leaving the house, #121: review this film on this site.
Le Samourai doesn't look so much like cool as a stealthy deconstruction of cool.
Jeff Costello walks not with the relaxed confidence of someone secure in his own power, but with nerviness – a controlled, athletic nerviness - a man who doesn't really want to be where he is, doesn't want to be seen (and not just by the witnesses to his hits).The guy who hired him says he's a really good hitman; presumably he has been until recently, but we don't see it. His efficiency is crumbling as his subconscious rebels against his detached…
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"Heaven knows I'm not Alain Delon". Thus goes the chorus of a song by a lesser known Norwegian pop band. Truer words were never spoken.
In the back of my mind I've always known that Le Samouraï would be right up my alley, but I've put it off for what seems like an eternity. Pushing play for the first time tonight made me sad and filled with joy at the same time. The opening is breathtaking in its minimalism. Melville's mise èn scene has Delon's Jef Costello lying in the bottom right corner of the picture, smoking. The camera stays still for what feels like an eternity, and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable. It sets the…
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This film is all kinds of cool with Jef Costello being The Godfather of badass motherfuckers. Why did it take me so long to check this out!!!!! Man I hope they release a Criterion Blu-Ray of this as I'd be all over that. Question friends and fans of this movie. Is it just me or when buddy goes up to the door near the beginning where the dudes are playing cards, I swear he uses the same knock Leon teaches Mathilda as their secret code in Leon? Very cool if it is.
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Le Samouraï is a very stylish movie, considered to be one of the best french crime films by many. Jef Costello is such a cool and disciplined character and something I found interesting is that you can identify several aspects of a samurai's principles and conducts in the main character's personality, such as loneliness and bravery. The ending scene is memorable and just reinforces that similarity. However, the main problem I had with the film is that it lacked suspense and intensity , being a bit tiresome at times. Also, Jef is supposed to be a perfectionist who always plans very carefully his hits so he doesn't get caught. He actually makes a lot of obvious mistakes here so I…
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#8 for Great Movies May.
Another basically flawless film, great even though I had already seen the remake (Walter Hill's The Driver - also good, but lacking something in the translation to America).
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Masterful, iconic crime drama starring Alain Delon. Atmospheric, complex and influencial.
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Part of the Around the World in 30 Days: A 30 Days, 30 Countries Challenge
Film #2: France
French cinema has a wealth of excellent films, and I had a particularly hard time choosing just one! I was so spoilt for choice with directors such as Truffaut, Louis Malle and Eric Rohmer to begin with. (European cinema on the whole is so prolific.) But I eventually decided on this one, because it's been on my watchlist for so long, and it's a favourite of Adam Cook's so I had to see what all the fuss was about!
Going in I had no idea what this film would be like - whether it was a minimalist, abstract film or a naturalist…
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Film extremadament estilístic, propi de la tradició més d'art i assaig francès, que et deixa un regust contradictori. Per una banda la magnífica última escena, on s'hi poden sumar alguns fragments evocadors i poètics quan el guió evita centrar-se en el descobriment de l'assassí.
Un encert que es veu escombrat per una labor policial efectista i poc metòdica, que contrasta amb el joc de tiralinies que Jef Costello construeix per fugir de la sospita.
Interessant però excessivament maquillada. -
4th Movie, 4th Country (France) in the May 30 Days, 30 Countries (Berken) Challenge
Jeff Costello: Why say you did not recognize me?
Valérie: Why kill Marty?
Jeff Costello: I was to be paid.
Valérie: What had he done to you?
Jeff Costello: Not a thing. I didn't know him. I met him for the first and last time 24 hours ago.
[pause]
Valérie: What sort of man are you?I decided to change my movie for France from Breathless to Le Samouraï after hearing all the hype about this movie on Letterboxd, so I had very high expectations for this movie. Within the first 5 minutes I already sensed that I was in for a treat. There was no…
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"Heaven knows I'm not Alain Delon". Thus goes the chorus of a song by a lesser known Norwegian pop band. Truer words were never spoken.
In the back of my mind I've always known that Le Samouraï would be right up my alley, but I've put it off for what seems like an eternity. Pushing play for the first time tonight made me sad and filled with joy at the same time. The opening is breathtaking in its minimalism. Melville's mise èn scene has Delon's Jef Costello lying in the bottom right corner of the picture, smoking. The camera stays still for what feels like an eternity, and I mean that in the most positive way imaginable. It sets the…
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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"That's how you became unemployed."
#90 on Berken's Favorite Movies Of All TimeThere's fewer greater feelings in the life of a cinephile than starting a new movie by a new director and immediately becoming aware that you are in the hands of a master.
Le Samourai opens to a quote that introduces our protagonist as the solitary king of his own jungle and a mise en scène that does the same twice over. In the startlingly accomplished first shot our protagonist occupies a tiny portion of the screen yet nevertheless dominates it, both with his gaze and the casual puffs of smoke that he releases into the air, as if it too were his own. The dank and lonely…
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Hard to like at first, but after thinking for a while there's a lot to like about this film. People say there's elements of the samurai in Delon's character but I don't really see it. I guess his solitude, represented by lingering shots, a secluded hideaway, and his silence (as said by someone else this film has no dialogue that is does not serve to move forward or tell the story - and I agree) is what people are referring to. But, particularly, the ending really makes everything before it worthwhile, as it reveals the arc that had been leading the story.
In terms of craft and quality, it's definitely up there. It's a perfect film for the subject of a solitary hitman who's been at the job for a long time and for those looking for a cool jazz-lounge bar experience.