Review of Le Samouraï (1967) by Brendan O — 28 Jul 2007
Sublime strangeness. French film noir, pure and simple. The characters, while cold and distant, are also undeniably cool. The old proverb, "Actions speak louder than words" certainly rings true in 'Le Samourai': There is very limited dialogue, and, much like '2001: A Space Odyssey' or 'In the Bedroom', this is a visually-driven film.
It is very lean, stylized and cinematic. Dialogue is kept to an absolute minimum. Even Hitchcock never made a film with so few words. At the center is Melville's hero 'Le Samourai', played with easy detachment by Alain Delon.
One of the cinema's most charismatic actors, Delon brings a stoic presence to create a memorably unique character. Melville's oftentimes arty, slow pacing makes the film not for all viewing tastes.
This review of Le Samouraï (1967) was written by Brendan O on 28 Jul 2007.
Le Samouraï has generally received very positive reviews.
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