Review of Le Samouraï (1967) by Douglas R — 13 Dec 2009

I have been anticipating seeing this movie for years, and thanks to an online 50% off sale, I was finally able to view my brand new blind-buy copy. Of course, being a huge fan of Melville's many other great films, I knew there was no risk in this purchase. Le Samourai turns out to be Melville's most personal production, almost a stripped down demonstration of his signature style without any distractions, similar to Hitchcock's minimalist suspense essay, Rear Window.

Yet even with it's own generous helping of suspense, Le Samourai is much more a character study, in the context of a gangster crime movie. The character is the mysterious hitman who is pursued by an entire police force, dangerous women and various other thugs throughout Paris. The hitman's own life is almost abstract and timeless in Melville's vision, as if he were visiting from another film, either a 1930's Hollywood noir, or perhaps a 1950's samurai epic.

The direction is so methodical and detailed that there is nothing left to the imagination except the thoughts and feelings of the title character. In convincing Delon to play the hitman, Melville succeeded in hiring the actor that he had written the role for, and it shows. The legendary "coolness" of Delon's performance has been imitated by John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Tarantino, and every other filmmaker who has ventured into the crime genre. The rest of the cast plays off the star's performance effectively.

I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in seeing a deconstruction of the "Gangster Movie" with amazing direction and cinematography.