Review of Le Samouraï (1967) by Zack M — 17 Jun 2011

One of the masters (in my opinion of course) of noir films takes a stab at neo-noir. Melville has crafted some of my favorite noir crime films ever and I know I will be watching a work of art whenever I pop in one of his films. Le Samourai is no different. It drops you right in the middle of a job being executed by the brilliant hit man played by Alain Delon and the tension only builds from there. It plays almost like a Hitchcock film in that the stakes only get higher and higher as the plot thickens until it finally snaps. That is where the film all came together for me and reassured me that everything that had happened had a magnificent payoff in the end. The final scene is one of my favorite endings to a film that I have seen in years. I'm still chewing over the deliciousness that was this movie.

While I have liked other Melville films above this one, you will not be wasting your time to enjoy this beautifully crafted crime thriller. It's one that will stick with you for a good while after the runtime is finished while at the same time making you feel completely satisfied with the finale.