Le Samourai - Criterion Collection

I purchased this movie as a gift and have no idea how the person felt about the movie; however, I've seen this movie a few times and love it to death. The themes of honor really resonate with me. Criterion always puts out a quality product. Hopefully, it was appreciated.

Le Samouraï opens to a shot of rain beating onto the window of a darkened room. At the corner of the frame, a puff of smoke emanates from a lit cigarette. An occasional shrill chirp is heard from a caged bird. The rest is silence. An impassive man, Jef Costello (Alain Delon), rises from the bed, dons his trenchcoat and fedora, and leaves the room. On the street is an unlocked car. He sits in the driver's seat, produces a set of master keys from his coat, and methodically tries each key until the ignition starts, then speeds away. He then visits his lover, Jane Lagrange (Nathalie Delon) in order to arrange an alibi. But she is meeting her suitor, a respectable older man named Wiener (Michel Boisrond) later in the evening, and will not be able to provide him with a complete alibi. A second stop at a back room poker game is needed, and Jef has an alibi for the remainder of the evening. Soon, his actions become clear; he has been hired by an anonymous syndicate to kill the owner of a popular night club. However, things do not go according to plan. On the way out of the owner's office after the murder, he is spotted by a number of employees, including a lounge pianist, Valerie (Caty Rosier), who stares him in the face. However, in a puzzling turn of events, Valerie will not identify Jef as the killer despite her clear recognition of him, and the inspector (Francois Perier) is compelled to release him. Meanwhile, the syndicate learns of Jef's police detention and, troubled by the potential discovery of their association, hires a second contract killer to silence Jef. Now hunted by both the police and the syndicate, Jef is forced to rely on his own instincts to survive.

Jean-Pierre Melville creates a precise, taut, and elegant film in Le Samouraï. Jef's inscrutable, Bressonian demeanor (note the similarity of Jef's countenance with Michel's in Robert Bresson's Pickpocket) is reflected through the use of austere colors (blues and grays), inclement weather, and pervasive silence to create an unnatural and unnerving atmosphere. Furthermore, the repeated image of the caged bird, the police interrogation and surveillance, and the pursuit in the Paris Metro (intercut with disorienting images of the position indicators lighting the intricate subway map), contribute to a sense of entrapment, as Jef attempts to evade everyone while pursuing Valerie, believing that she holds the key to the identities of the anonymous syndicate. Inevitably, Jef finds himself returning to the scene of the crime, to confront the enigmatic Valerie, and in the process, face his own destiny.

Le Samourai is a a film of style. Alain Delon is a hired killer who wears white gloves, a suit and a hat. He lives a lonely life but with the ultimate in coolness. This is a fun film where the character has immense charm and attraction for an audience. I highly recommend it.

Melville creates a fantastically slow-paced and visually stunning neo-noir thriller about Jef Costello (played by Alain Delon), a brilliant but socially broken hired killer. Delon is as cool and slick as Steve McQueen at his best, but prettier and lonelier. Those who are looking for lots of running, fighting, and explosions should stay far away from this one, and Melville never includes dialogue if he can get by without it. The first line of the film comes more than ten minutes after the opening, but the story is about solitude, isolation, and disconnection. Delon's then-wife Nathalie plays the ethereally beautiful Jane Lagrange, Jef's part-time lover and alibi. If you love smart, patient cinema, and don't mind subtitles, you should definitely check this out.

Also, the Criterion features, including a well-assembled booklet, are well worth the price.

I like also the movie. The only thing I did not like is Alain Delon died
and I think there should be a continuation in this movie.

One of the better gangster movies out there, Le Samourai has gotten the royal treatment from the Criterion Collection with an excellent DVD packaging. Jef Costello is a hired killer, calm, cool and collected who does his job and does it well. He plans every last detail so that nothing can go wrong, but on one hit he's brought in as a suspect by the Paris police. Costello kills a club owner and because he's brought in by the police, the men who hired him want to kill him so there's connection to them. What follows is a cat and mouse game as Costello seeks revenge while trying to stay out of the grips of the French police. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, this film doesn't have a wasted moments, every shot and line of dialogue serves a purpose. It's by no means an action movie, but what makes the movie so strong is the tension it creates right from the very beginning to the last scene which completely caught me off guard. But action or not, it's a great movie that shouldn't be missed.

In maybe his best role, Alain Delon is perfect as Jef Costello, a hired killer who always gets the job done thanks to his patience and coolness under pressure. It's a very cool part, very stylized, and Delon perfectly underplays the part with very little emotion throughout. François Périer is Delon's perfect oppposite as the Paris police superintendent so desperately trying to catch Costello and break his alibi. Delon's wife Nathalie is good as Jane Lagrange, Costello's girlfriend who sets up a perfect alibi for him to help show her feelings toward him. Cathy Rosier plays Valerie, a pianist who saw Jef leave the scene of the murder but has some alterior motives as to whether she'll turn him in.

The Criterion Collection DVD does not disappoint (have they ever?) with a cleaned-up widescreen presentation that looks great. Special features include two authors discussing the making of the movie and Melville's and Delon's involvement in the film, about 20 minutes of interviews from the late 60s and early 70s with the cast and crew and a trailer. All in all, an enjoyable, different take on the gangster movie with a great performance from Alain Delon in the lead. Give Le Samourai a try!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

...films ever made, this French existentialist-noir masterpiece by Jean Pierre-Melville is not only hauntingly austere, bleak and beautiful to watch, it also acts as the lodestar for virtually every Hollywood film made after 1967.

"Le Samourai" is a stylish, beautiful, new-wave thriller with very little dialogue, and lots of action nonetheless. The striking Alain Delon (who at 32, possessed the kind of beauty that made it worth watching his films for his beauty alone) plays the solitary hit-man who ultimately falls victim to his conscience (a debatable analogy).

Watching the special features on the DVD, I didn't think I would be so impressed with Jean Pierre Melville (an interesting note is that Jean Pierre was actually a French Jew who rechristened himself after American author Herman Melville!) as the man is stupendous when interviewed. Other than the movie, the documentary that follows Jean around his soundstage is the most fascinating. The Director is not vain or pretentious - instead, he is a man very much in touch with his shortcomings and his neuroses. Watching him talk about "Le Samourai" was what made me watch the film a second time, really, and even though it doesn't quite hold up on repeated viewing, its still pretty good.

The only downside for me was the ending (one that Melville himself had problems with, apparently). The class and style of the film is suddenly lost, and the direction and camera angles are shoddy. Somehow, the ambience and air created is altogether lost, and the climax seems more of a cover up or a tacky afterthought to what is an otherwise stellar film. Young Nathalie Delon, Alain's wife at the time is luminous in her Brigitte Bardot-styled role here - in real life the couple would divorce quickly after the release of this film, and perhaps that is why their scenes are strained despite being directed beautifully.

At the end of it, the things you will remember about this movie would be the beautiful streets and rues of Paris, the lovely 1960s style houses and mansions, the highly stylized and dressed Alain Delon, and finally the fancy camerawork that never lets up during the more tense action scenes. Some may find this film to be a poor ancestor of "Pulp Fiction", but this is more like high art than anything else. Its quite David Lynchian in places.

I'm giving this three stars because the ending will let down any cinephile. However, if theres one thing that students of film would remember years later, it would be Alain Delon's stunning physical presence here - that chiseled face, the cocked hat, and that ever present trenchcoat. What a look, what a film.

I had never heard of Jean-Pierre Melville, nor of this film. I just grabbed it off of the shelf with several others, five minutes before closing time at the library. When I couldn't get Easy Riders to play and the sound was bad on Tender Mercies, I reluctantly pulled Le Samourai out of the bottom of the bag. Sometimes it's better to be surprised.

I am not a cineaste so I couldn't compare this film with those of Tarantino or whoever else various readers here are discussing. So don't expect a technical analysis here; others have done that. I just liked it!

Melville states in an interview with him that he considers it essential to please the audience; a film must entertain. Another film critic stated that this was a tremendous box office success in France when it came out. So, don't be put off by all of the high-flying discussions--it is a lot of fun to watch. Fun may be an odd word for a film noir but I found it so cleverly constructed and with such a sense of meticulous irony that, yes, it was fun. There are parts where he does seem to be parodying himself but that is part of the fun. He is a tremendously smart and clever man.

The idea of presenting a modern day Parisian hit-man as a samurai is fascinating. The hero, or anti-hero, Jeff Costello, portrayed to perfection by Alain Delon, is the epitome of self-containment, as a samuri must be. One can only imagine the depths of his loneliness as we see him move through life, never dropping his mask like expression. Only when he is dressing a gun shot wound in his bathroom do we see the muscles in his face relax. Even with his sometime girlfriend, played by Nathalie Delon, he rarely drops his guard.

A beautiful Black jazz pianist in a nightclub where he has been hired to kill the owner seems to get through to him in some mysterious way. We don't even know her name and their relationship is unclear. (Melville explains in the interview that he likes to leave the audience a little confused about what happened.) The way his eyes seer into hers in the closest thing we see to some deep human emotion. (She is wonderfully played by Caty Rosier in a performance that totally wipes out that of Nathalie Delon, in my opinion.)

The story is fascinating. It is set in Paris of 1967, when the film was made and it's thorougly enjoyable to see the trappings of that time and place. There are some terrific scenes in the Metro which should bring back memories to anyone who has ever tried to navigate the underground rail system. The nightclub with the Courrege style decor is fun to see.

Mostly it's a character study. We don't know anything of the background of this mysterious guy...no case study of what drove him to crime. His personality is totally submerged beneath his handsome, glossy surface, dressed in perfectly tailored suits and the requisite beige trench coat and fedora. Only a tiny bird in an antique cage shows that there is a real human being sharing the space of his monochromatic gray apartment.

I don't want to tell too much to spoil the enjoyment of the story unfolding. Warning: some of the reviews do spoil the ending...so be careful what you read if you haven't seen the film.

I think it is a film that can be enjoyed on many levels. It has been revolving around in my brain ever since I saw it. The interviews with Melville, Delon and others are good for those who want to think about it, but for others, it can simply be enjoyed as a good exciting film. I'm definitely going to look for more of Melville's work.

French film director, Jean-Pierre Melville (1917-1973) is best known for his austere films noir, Le Samouraï (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) - Criterion Collection. He remains an important influence for directors like John Woo and Quentin Tarantino. Le Samouraï is a classic crime/drama/thriller featuring Alain Delon as the leading character, Jef Costello. Costello is a blue-eyed contract killer with the instincts of a samurai, who lives in a minimalist apartment with little more than a pack of cigarettes and a strange pet bird. The film opens with glacier-cool Costello smoking in bed, the screen captioned with the following text from The Book of Bushido: "There is no solitude greater than the samurai's, unless perhaps it be that of a tiger in the jungle."

Costello is contracted to kill a nightclub owner, and his blonde girlfriend Jane (played by Delon's wife, Nathalie Delon) gives him an airtight alibi. However, the club's black piano player Valérie (Caty Rosier) witnesses the killing. The police believe Costello is the killer, but cannot prove it. Soon Costello finds both the police and his criminal employer in pursuit of him, generating most of the film's suspense. All the while, Costello never loses his cool. The film's ending has prompted much discussion about its meaning. Le Samouraï has influenced later films including John Woo's The Killer, and Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai, though both films fall short of Alain Delon's unforgettable performance.

Criterion presents Le Samourai in an impeccable digital transfer and a clear jazzy score; interviews with Melville, Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, and Cathy Rosier; and the theatrical trailer.

G. Merritt

Melville is one of my favorites, and not just Herman. A director like Jean-Pierre Melville, who can give us the wry humanity of Bob le Flambeur and the austere fatalism of Army of Shadows, is a man to be reckoned with. Le Samourai, on the other hand, left me unsure whether I was watching an homage to American gangster movies or a comedy routine. Whenever Jef Costello went walking quickly down the street or through a crowded nightclub, shoulders slightly hunched, hat pulled low over his face, hands thrust deep into the pockets of his trench-coat, collar pulled up, all I could think of was Bugs Bunny doing his cartoon take on Sam Spade. When Jef barges into the office of the owner of Martey's, I expected him to ask "What's up, doc?" before plugging the guy.

Don't get me wrong. There is much to admire in Le Samourai, not the least of which is the clarity and style of the film and the carefully constructed persona of Jef Costello (Alan Delon). Melville reportedly told Delon that Delon didn't need to act in the film, just be photographed. Delon scarcely moves a facial muscle throughout the film. In my view, this pushes the movie awfully close to film caricature...and would tip it right over if it weren't for the counter-balancing performances of Francois Perier, as the police superintendent determined to catch Costello, and Cathy Rosier, as the nightclub piano player. Perier just about steals the movie for me and Rosier is used to develop layers of ambiguity and possible betrayal. Delon gives us what Melville wanted, an artifice of movement, posture and expression, fascinating as time passes but with no more depth than a carefully dressed manikin in the window of an expensive shop. The gangster with a code of honor? That really is a Hollywood fairy tale, which Melville gives us without blinking an eye.

Le Samourai, for me, is a movie well worth watching, but is best enjoyed by those intrigued by style over substance. It's a sad day, however, when praise from such "stylists" as John Woo and Quentin Tarantino can be taken as proof of Melville's stature as a director. Woo and Tarantino are as different from Melville as Morton's table salt is from fleur de sel. Neither has shown himself capable of producing films such as Army of Shadows or Bob le Flambeur. Melville might be a stylist, but he used serious content on which to build style, and style almost always served content. Melville's curse, partly due to his own statements, is that he is the kind of director some cineastes love to natter about. "Creative art," Melville said, "is based on lies -- which can only be exploited properly, in my opinion, if one is not a liar in real life." This is a statement pregnant with apparent truth but which makes no sense at all...except to passionate film students. Melville is the sort of director cineastes can talk to death. Fortunately, we have his films to judge for ourselves. By all means buy and watch Le Samourai. But, please, also buy and watch Army of Shadows.

The Criterion DVD transfer looks just fine to me, although sometimes on the dark side. Extras include archival interviews with Melville, Delon, Rosier and Nathalie Delon. There also is a substantial booklet which, among other articles, includes a John Woo piece, "The Melville Style." It first appeared in, what else, Cahiers du Cinema.
Army of Shadows - Criterion Collection
Bob le Flambeur - Criterion Collection

Alain Delon stars as Jef, a docile hitman who was spotted when committing his last murder. The police are on his trail, but he has an airtight alibi; his girlfriend vouches for his presence in her home during the time of the crime. The police know better, but without any concrete witnesses, they can do nothing but let Jef go. However, they set plenty of traps along the way to catch him, and the people that hired Jef to commit the crime aren't too happy with the way he almost got caught.

This French film is very slow-going with very little focus on the individual characters. The fact that Jef is impeccably dressed at all times complete with a gangster-era hat gives us some clues, as well as his stone-faced demeanor. In spite of his charm, he is a murderer, so it is unclear as to whether we are supposed to like him or not. The dingy sets and a mostly objective camera leave an unfavorable impression as well.

The extra features on this disk certainly lead one to believe that this film was a labor of love by people who worship the movies, but this love does not necessarily show up in the film itself. The use of the camera and sound in the film betray an understanding of the medium, but the film fails to penetrate the emotions.

Seminal gangster movie homage combines elements of Kurosawa and American film noir to create a spare film strikingly short on dialogue. Delon is ideal for the role of Jef, as his surface male beauty amplifies the character's underlying moral and emotional vacuum. Behind those icy, classic features, you glimpse nothing but oblivion. (Note: Delon's wife Nathalie plays Jane, who furnishes Jef's alibi).

Delon at his coolest and best. The clothes, the hat, the cars. All scream '60's COOL'. This update(from the Japanese) of the lonely hitman, the outsider with few friends, has been a long time coming to DVD. Any fan of the French new wave, who has never caught this film, should see it immediately. There are many themes and influences that are later repeated in the American crime films of the 70's. The only reason that it does drop a star, is that is was a film very much of its time and place. As such, it should be viewed historically, and may disappoint fans of later, more violent, US and Japanese films in the same genre. Delon steals every scene by doing almost nothing. A masterclass in mimalism, and a good example for the later much wordier, and more character-driven pieces we are more used to. For the more mature movie buff, it's a must!

cat and mouse, hide and seek, the game was on but circled around and finished up with a no-way-out ending. the screenplay sometimes gave you a false hope that the whole thing might have turned out differently, but the french screenplay writers usually knew how to start a story with great scenario and plot, but they also got a problem: they never quite got the grip how to finish a story in the end. alain delon in this movie looked too stereotyped noir, very pretentiously cool with hat and windbreaker. you didn't feel any empathy or compassion about how he survived or not, because the movie itself was too 1 dimensional simple, lack of a strong dose of mystery. the hired assassin/hitman he played was just a too simple-minded gofer with a gun for hire. very appropriate title: 'the samurai', a servant (usually no brain needed) blindly serves to the rich and the powerful, no question asked, just like what the samurai did in ancient japan.

I think there was packaging or a sticker that compared this film to Pulp Fiction. As if. Beyond minor superficial similarities - I dont see it.

Le Samurai is one of the most boring films Ive watched recently without turning it off. In retrospect I wish I had turned it off or never wasted my time since the ending is so dull.

Imagine if breathless had a slightly more complicated plot, but the main character had no charisma. Or if Alphaville (the film not the treatment) was more 100 times more boring. Le Samurai makes Tokyo Drifter seem like a thrill ride. I was not impressed by this film on any level.

If you are into being bored. Or if your so freaking smart you can watch paint drying and fill it with significance, this is the film for you.

From the beginning the viewer expects a great film; the blank face of the main character, his silence, and his solitude prelude what seems is going to be a lot of excitement. We witness the daily chores of this seemingly cool (but liable to absurd) hired killer, we share his vital space, we follow him. He speaks hardly any word, he has no facial expression whatsoever... how cool. What kind of a man is this? Very interesting, you may think. Well, think not, because whatever he is underneath that handsome face is not the point of this film. The point is the facade itself. A big balloon filled with nothing but air and liable to explode any moment.

How the critics fell for this one does not amaze any more. They took the gag seriously! Check out the other reviews. The funny trick is, I believe, that Melville didn't pretend to do anything else but a mock of all the cliches of the genre. He meant it for a mock. Therefore all the iconography of film noir: the raincoat, tha hat, the jazz, the cigarette, the beautiful girl, the gun fight, the blank face, the bluffing detective... at least it must provoke some smile. How about the artificial style of the police station, or the night club? All these elements are chosen intentionally to produce this effect, not to be taken serious. This is the product of an onanist's dream. An interesting, though not fulfilling, film.

Who would think that one of the best Samurai movies had been made by a French director and it took place in gloomy, rainy Paris of the 60s? Great movie, simply amazing with the coolest actor possible to play the Samurai of the title, a "beautiful destructive angel of the dark street", Alain Delon. Delon's Jef Costello, the self-employed killer for hire, does not say much but when he is on the screen, you'd never take your eyes off him. Delon is the major but not the only asset to the film. Mellville's style is so distinguished, so precise, so elegant, so chilling, and so perfect in the exploring the darkest solitude possible (and that of a samurai or a tiger in the jungle) and of the only destiny the samurai has to be prepared for - "One who is a samurai must before all things keep constantly in mind, by day and by night . . . the fact that he has to die. That is his chief business" that I can't think of any other movie to place close to his masterwork.

Le Samourai, Jean-Pierre Melville's riff on This Gun For Hire, is another of Criterion's slightly disappointing recent discs. The film is superb and the extras are okay but not outstanding (Melville trying a little too hard not to blame rival studios for the fire that destroyed his own studio during filming is the highlight) but the transfer, while acceptable, is nowhere near the standard of the deleted French DVD, or even the Russian one for that matter, both of which are much sharper. It's still a great exercise in pure filmmaking, but I'm glad I didn't trade in the French PAL disc, which boasts superior picture quality, before seeing this transfer.

I was alone and bored in Aix, which used to be an one horse town compared to US cities - it was cold but humid (Provence is like that) - I walked into a theater and saw Jean-Pierre Melville's "Les Enfants terribles" which completely blew me out so next time when I got chance to see Le Samourai, of coarse I did not miss it - it was just fabulous. At that time I saw it in a movie theater and still the quality of photography was beyond belief. Again last week I saw the DVD and I was quite frabergasted to see how much they have improved the color in the DVD. The color and shade , the silhouettes are just a feast for the eyes. We talk about the slickness of various actors but check out Alain Delon - he is as cool as it can get - every move is perfect

Alain Delon is a free sport - professional killer - but he is not a rogue - you should see Tom Cruise's Collateral before watching this movie - then you will understand how superior this movie is -


Hitman Jeff Costello - kills but the police can never touch him - his alibis are always perfect (often too perfect) - his witnesses do not break down, this friends do not give him up. But he is a loner - he operates alone. Today in the day's of Casino Royal some of the gadgets may look out dated but please look into the details - its just mind boggling - every movement is measured - every frame is carefully designed - I promise you will love it

quick and uncomplicated shipping; The DVD is still with my parents in law in the States - I myself live in Germany ; they bring it at Christmas - sorry, I cannot tell you anything about the qualitiy of the DVD, but I assume , that it is fine such as the shipping. If you want me to do so later, please let me know.
That is why I did not write earlier.
Best regards
Jessika Kraus

I am a Philistine. I did not care for Jean-Pierre Melville's "Great Gangster Film," "Le Samourai." I have been instructed by Great Film Critics like Roger Ebert that this is a Great Movie, and that it tells a great story about a great character. I am sorry - I don't see it. I chalk this up to Great Expectations that just weren't met. Put it in the class of "The Graduate" and "American Beauty," movies that I have been told so many times are Great that when I finally saw them, I failed to see what all the fuss is about.

Intellectually, I admire "Le Samourai." Alain Delon, who was a hee-yuge star of the French cinema, plays assassin Jef Costello without inflection or charm - a surprising move for a star who must have been a Brad Pitt or Robert Redford on the movie-star Richter scale at the time. Indeed, Costello may have the lowest word-per-minute-of-screen-time for any character not a deaf-mute. Fantastically handsome, Delon does not change his stoic expression throughout the film, except for a slight grimace when he is shot and with some wilting of the eyes during the rare, key emotional scenes. This is a great performance of reserve. But it is a performance that kept me away from the movie. I liked Costello, but he never really moved me to care for him overmuch.

Most of the movie, other than some long shots of virtual stillness, is a police procedural. Costello has killed a man in a nightclub and there are witnesses, but the most reliable one, a black piano player, obstinately refuses to finger Costello. (I mention she is black, because all the Great Critics focus on this detail with great reverence. I merely thought she was gorgeous.) Costello also has a clever alibi that is nailed by the police inspector as being "too perfect." So the cops move heaven and earth to track down Costello. These scenes have apparently influenced dozens of movies since, and again are admirable. But the movie never really gets the pulse pounding.

Instead, Costello seems to occupy this lonely world of silence. Remember when, early on in "Absolute Power," Clint Eastwood "celebrates" a job well-done by sitting by himself in his apartment watching the video of a college football game? Why on earth be a thief if this is how you have to live your life? I asked the same questions of Costello. The movie is titled, "Le Samourai," but Costello is a loner. The Samurai of Japan served lords - dying in the service of one's master was the highest duty. A "self-employed" Samurai was a Ronin, a disgraced outcast. Melville may have outsmarted me a bit here.

The underworld that hired Costello for the hit is also after him, and the plot here gets more than a bit murky. Motives are never made clear, and more than a few identities remain sketchy. That's fine, I suppose, but a bit of clarity would have helped me overcome my own shortcomings, I suppose. But the movie for the most part focused on the police aspects, and the gangster hunt for Costello almost feels like an afterthought.

"Le Samourai" has been praised by numerous filmmakers, including John Woo and Quentin Tarantino - I think Costello's clothes have inspired Tarantino's patented black-suit look. If it is enough for you that these two talented filmmakers and Roger Ebert love the movie, then by all means check it out. But is "Le Samourai" an "enjoyable night at the movies"? I think not. The look is great, the acting is fine, but the ultimate viewing experience for me was destroyed by the weight of great expectations.

Just be careful - I have been roundly criticized by others for not properly appreciating this amazing film.

Le Samouraï, The Samurai, opens with a shot of the protagonist Jef Costello, Alain Delon, lounging on his bed within his dilapidated apartment while clouds of cigarette smoke float in the air. A professional hitman, Costello begins each job with stealing a car, having its license plates changed, and establishing a solid alibi with either his semi-girlfriend or friends. His intended victim for this particular job is the owner of a popular club.

Quite debonair with his hat, trench coat, clean cut looks, and icy blue eyes, Costello is a man of keen intellect and possesses the emotions of a stone. When he kills the proprietor of the jazz club, nary an emotion crosses his face. However, everything does not go smoothly with this hit. As he leaves the scene of the crime, Costello is spotted by the club's jazz pianist and is later brought into police headquarters and questioned repeatedly by the police, but his icy façade does not break, and although the police are sure he killed the proprietor, the workers, including the jazz pianist of the club are unable to identify him as the killer. Although Costello is released, the police are determined to prove that he was the murderer, and Costello, after having a run in with someone working for the man who hired him, is determined to find the man who gave him his contract.

Filmed in the metal, glass, and concrete jungle of Paris, Le Samouraï delves deep into the psyche of a cool and collected man whose world is falling apart around him. The film has little action, but instead plays on the claustrophobic nature of someone who knows that he or she is being watched all the time. Costello is used to being the Hunter, but now that he is on the other side of the fence, his carefully honed mask starts to break. Wonderfully scored, this is a film that can be enjoyed on many levels.

I have seen this movie on VHS back on 80-es and it just stucked in my heart. I am really glad for this DVD 2 disc release by Criterion collection. Good transfer and very interesting stuff on second disc about Mellvile, about production and etc. Worth to have on your shelf.

Most people have a hard time adjusting to foreign films because reading subtitles and trying to watch the film is difficult. That's why I love Melville's Le Samourai, not much speaking throughout the film equals minimal subtitles. This film doesn't require many lines of speech. The main character is an assassin who is hired to do a job and is rounded up by the police as a possible suspect. While trying not to get arrested he is trying to find out who double crossed him. My first Melville film and I loved it. If you like this one you should also see Le Cercle Rouge and especially Bob Le Flambeur.

Alain Delon sets the standard for "cool killer" characters in film. His performance marks the beginning of gangster as fashion icon, paving the way for Beatty & Dunaway in "Bonnie & Clyde" and Quentin Tarantino's "Resevoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction".

Melville directs with fantastic visual flair and provides a great twist ending, too.

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Le Samourai, is the story of a contract killer in Paris hired to kill the owner of a night club but is caught, during the line up, a witness says that he is not the killer, but the police follow him anyway.

The film is well made and has some nice scenes of the Paris Metro.

The DVD's special features are a theatrical trailer, archival interviews with cast and crew, and new interviews with two Jean-Pierre Melville biographers.

Any fan of Gangster films will love this.

There isn't one wasted second in this film. Not one!!! You'll be sucked in, and surprised, within the first two minutes, and there's very little dialogue so you need not worry about too much subtitle reading. You can tell there's a lot of influence from American film noir in this film, but "Le Samourai" takes it to a level of perfection. I wish some of the folks that throw their good money towards bad modern action flicks would take the time to watch "Le Samourai" they just might discover a thing or two about how it could really be done. Brilliant!

This movie is pretty much flawless. Alain Delon portrays one of the coolest characters ever on screen. I love the way the movie is shot and the atmosphere. Delon has little dialogue and doesn't need any. He portrays the coolest hitman ever on film. This movie is subtitled but don't let that get in your way of watching. It's a beautiful movie.

This must be one of the coolest gangster flicks ever...the French know how to do their gangster movies...Alain Delon is wonderful as the seemingly impassive, yet passionate contract killer who lives by a severe, exceedingly moral code.

Humorously enough, this film was dubbed "The Godson" in its first chopped-up American release, to try and siphon some of the market from the audience for the Coppola classic.

To those viewers who thought the ending was enigmatic and that it wasn't certain that Delon was effecting a ritualistic suicide... note that when he enters the club and checks his hat, he purposely leaves the hat check ticket on the counter.

He knows he won't be needing it.

This film is an excellent example of what differentiates cinema from theater or fiction, and it features very little dialogue.

Instead, it features poetry, and the primacy of image and sound over words.

This stylish film is just as important, if not MORE so than another stylishly famous gangster film released the same year... BONNIE & CLYDE.

The DVD transfer is gorgeous. The cinematography, sublime.

And note Melville's similarities with both Leone and Tarkovsky! The chirping bird in the first scene anticipates the sound of Leone's swinging sign at the beginning of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. Melville also deconstructs the iconography of the American gangster/noir genre as Leone deconstructs the American western. His pacing and emphasis on style are also similar to Leone's... and Tarkovsky's. Interestingly enough, the first scene is so reminiscent of the first scene in Tarkovsky's STALKER, with the long color desaturated shot in the room (and the bird chirping) so similar to Tarkovsky's desaturated shots in the house by the train tracks (and the incessant rumbling of the train).

Both characters, Jef Costello and the Stalker, go on existential journeys and end up at home... the Stalker at his by the tracks (fittingly enough, for a tracker) and Costello at his, at the feet of his angel of death.

Alain Delon is a cool-as-ice contract killer. After pulling off his latest contract, he is picked up by the police on suspicion, but is released for lack of evidence. The gangsters who hired him consider him a liability, however, and attempt to have him killed. He must now evade the police long enough to track down his killers before they get him.

With minimal dialogue and a stripped-down, no-frills style, director Jean-Pierre Melville delivers a thriller that is a model of efficiency and cool. The storyline is quite consciously straight out of the noir films of the 40s, and because audiences know all the moves, Melville can sketch them in with only a few brush strokes. Influenced as it is by American crime films and Japanese samurai epics, the movie has in become a colossal influence of subsequent directors. Essential viewing.

The mono is clean, free of hiss and distortion, and very textured and rich. There are plenty of stereo tracks out there that sound thinner and are far less satisfying. All mono should sound this good.

No fluff here. These are features for the serious film student. There are two interviews with film scholars (Rui Nogueira and Ginette Vincendeau) about Melville's career and the film. There are also twenty-four minutes of archival interviews with Melville, Delon and others, along with a news report about the burning of Melville's studios. There's the theatrical trailer, and finally there's an excellent 29-page booklet included (which, along with an interview with Melville, has an appreciation by John Woo, and so on). The menu's main screen is animated and scored.

A classic film and a respectful treatment, as one would expect. Highly recommended.

The wheel of life circles towards a predictable conclusion, as does Jean-Pierre Melville's cinematic masterpiece Le Samouraï. The film emits a strongly inevitable atmosphere, yet the silence, dualistic, and enigmatic narrative leaves the audience ambiguously flabbergasted far after its initial screening. The serenity that surrounds the protagonist cerebrally submerges the audience into a world where opposites coincide in an illusionary moment. It is in this moment where the thoughts conceptualize into a coherent piece of alternative reality and offer support to the power of suggestion. The blending of the fictitiously thoughtful imagination and the reality on the screen leaves the audience with a strong sense of dualism. Like Yin and Yang, the notion is further developed through the protagonist Jef Costello (Alain Delon) who peacefully approaches his violent profession, as a hit man. He is the embodiment of mind and body converging towards a moment of perfection, as he seeks his own path, a path similar to the samurai - the way of Bushido.

The contrasts within Jef and his environment sharply emerge in the lengthy initial scene where he rests on a bed while staring into the ceiling. Not much is in motion besides him lighting a cigarette, a canary singing in a cage, and cigarette smoke lingering in midair while the sounds of vehicles passing outside informs the audience about the continuance of existence outside. A sparsely furnished and decorated room with aged and peeling wallpaper demonstrates his humbleness, as he pays no attention to vanity or self-importance. Thoughtfully, perhaps, most likely, Jef might be seeking the greater meaning in life. The opening scene symbolically suggests that while people outside are busy scurrying back and forth in their cars to uphold a way of life governed by others' need of monetary means. Unlike the majority of the world, Jef seeks contemplative solitude, as a small tidbit of Bushido emerges on the screen stating, "There is not greater solitude than that of the samurai, unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle...perhaps..."

Whenever Jef leaves his simple apartment, he dresses himself in an exact and detailed manner, but not for narcissistic purpose. Instead, it seems as if he is preparing for battle, the beige trench coat and gray hat hint towards the idea of a samurai's armor and helmet. Every minor facet seems to be carefully calculated, as he is about to perform his profession to perfection. Words are meaningless. It is only the act of his task that matters while he carry's out his masters order with a deep sense of loyalty and respect. Despite the bloody purpose of his task, he approaches it with a great sense of benevolence and honesty to those who help him. He is to the point without intention of squandering time, yet he is adaptable to the changes around. Precision and flawlessness are also essential to the task of killing a nightclub owner, as he respects his target. To visually display his respect to the person he is about to kill he dresses in white gloves while also informing the marked man that he is about to die. Analogously Jef approaches his task to that of a samurai who would slash his sword through flesh without leaving any cutting mark until the limb slowly drift apart due to gravity.

Methodically, Melville transcends the American gangster cinema into an extraordinary combination of French New Wave and traditional Bushido that leaves the audience a timeless piece of cinematic brilliance. The story continues to unfold in, as mentioned before, a predictable manner when it turns into a cat and mouse game between Jef and the law enforcement. The police arrest Jef, but must release him due to lack of evidence and as one of the witnesses falsely acquits him for unknown reasons. Police inspector (Francois Perier), who strongly suspects Jef despite his watertight alibi, leads the investigation and he continues to pursue Jef. Meanwhile, Jef's criminal employer expects that he ratted them out in order to be released. This too will have consequences, as they try to have him killed before the police know too much. However, those who know Jef are aware that it is against his Bushido to squeal on superiors due to his respect and loyalty.

Throughout the film the audience will be informed of the date and time, which suggests the importance of time. The notion of seizing the day, and that time alive is overwhelming. It also offers the audience to ponder life's final solution, which often ends with an abrupt stop of the heart to experience another beat. The fear of death often devastates people's ability to fully live while samurai often contemplate the moment of death, as the moment of perfection. It is a moment where two opposites unite, as the circle of life has gone full circle from no life to life and back to no life. The use of Bushido accentuates this notion, as it draws its philosophical concepts from Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Buddhism provides the samurai of the belief of reincarnation, which strengthens their courage and lowers the guard from fear of death while life allows them to contemplate the wheel of life. In the end, Melville presents the importance of the here and now through his anti-heroic masterpiece Le Samouraï focusing on the moment and the actions that set life in motion.

Le Samouraï offers a fascinating cinematic experience on the surface, but it is when the audience begins to reflect over the film and its depiction where Melville's cinematic gift reveals itself. The film reads like a painting, a different interpretation for each viewer. Over time the accumulation of the viewer's experiences will help decipher the film and allow the viewer to uncover their own valuable lessons. Thus, time will allow for the experience to grow with contemplation, and in time Le Samouraï will change with the accumulation of experiences to a condensed purification of cinematic virtuosity.

Posting yet another encomium to this flawless film, a masterpiece of film noir and French new wave by Jean Pierre Melville, may seem superfluous, but I notice that no one has mentioned the quality of the Criterion DVD. The good news is that the transfer is gorgeous. You can watch it with the sound off and just wallow in the washed out feel of the cinematography, an exact match for the Spartan mood of the film. The bad news is that there is no commentary, although there are archival interviews with the principals, including the director, and a beautifully appointed (29-page) booklet. Melville is dead, but you'd think Delon would be on hand to validate his greatest role. But that's the only complaint that I have. Delon is simply brilliant here, and he's matched, deadpan for deadpan, by Cathy Rosier, as Valerie, the mysterious pianist at the club where Jef commits the "hit" that triggers the film's plot. So much has already been said about the atmospherics of the film, with its Bushido underpinnings, that I'll focus instead on the (perhaps) unexpected comic elements in the film. In addition to Jef's unnatural rapport with his pet bird (Melville identifies it as a female bullfinch), there is the hapless police superintendent, who finds himself surrounded at one point by a battalion of Delons, each wearing a variation of Jef's signature trench coat and fedora. One "imposter," who appears in a later scene, is so near the mark that he momentarily succeeds in confusing the viewer. Then there is the robe Valerie wears that is inscribed with a Chinese ideogram (I'd love to know what this means), not to mention Melville's joke in "quoting" from a non-existent Book of the Bushido. Finally, when Delon hops into a cab after leaving the police station, he directs the cabbie to "1, Rue Lord Byron." Even his address smacks of the Lone Wolf.

A fellow poster implies that the characters in "Le Samourai" are not particularly likeable. I beg to differ. Valerie, the unnamed police superintendent (Francois Perier), and Jane, the prostitute who provides Jef with one-half of his alibi (in fact, the then-Mrs. Delon, Natalie)--I like them all. But I especially like Jef Costello. There's something almost robot-like about the soulless efficiency with which he approaches his chosen profession. But Jef is also a child, with a very simplistic sense of loyalty. His take on the code of the Bushido is one that recognizes the value of friendship in a friendless world. I won't spoil the last act for anyone who hasn't seen the film, but it's above all consistent with Jef's unbending view of the world. Delon rarely gets credit for being a great actor, but he is brilliant in "Le Samourai," in a great, and career-defining, role.