Review 150
Le samouraï (1967)
I have reviewed Alain Delon films before, and I've mentioned some of the classics, but I figured it would be fair to review the first film I ever watched him in, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le samouraï (The Samurai for the anglophones in the audience, although the English-known title is the same as the French one, but with a capital on the "s". I'm done). I think my boyfriend was trying to impress me with this film before we started dating, and he definitely did. This is one of three partnerships between Delon and Melville, and trust me when I say that I enjoyed each of those films. I've also checked out other films from Melville, including Bob le Flambeur, and Melville really has it going down. But putting the two together just gives me some of my favourite films ever. Pure eye-candy all around with frigid awesomeness. Le samouraï also stars François Périer, Nathalie Delon, and Cathy Rosier. Let us begin!
Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a professional hitman, normally known to be superb in his work. However, after killing a night-club owner, a group of witnesses and a persistent head investigator (François Périer) may be enough to overthrow his fake alibis and send him away to prison.
If any of you love French cinema, or super clean, beautiful cinematography, or love Alain Delon/Melville, you've seen this film and don't need any convincing to give it a second watch. For those of you who aren't familiar with any of this, well, you need to have an appreciation for cinematography and crime films in order to enjoy this one. It's truly a film from the sixties, taking its time and showing us the beauty of an image as opposed to focusing on dialogue. Definitely very French as well, which I am biased to, of course. Consequently, this film might not be as accessible to modern viewers as an American film, we'll say, but if you want an initial look into some real class cinema, Le samouraï is the way to go.
Honestly, I guess my review could be longer, but the film is great. I especially love the chiaroscuro feel you get in this film - Melville is not afraid of showing us darkness. The opening shot is just Alain Delon's character lying in bed, smoking, with our focus on his slender, large windows. I mean, that enough to me was a sigh of happiness. Melville's concentration on the film's palette being muted (at least in the beginning) is obvious and soft on the eyes. Otherwise, placements of characters and angles are great. I would expect nothing less. It's not crazy and did anything that particularly had me jumping in my seat, but it was still very pleasurable.
Acting was great. Alain Delon is very quiet and serious in this one, which was great, and François Périer was great, but I really liked the female characters. Nathalie Delon is not very present in the film, but her way of keeping cool and innocence in loving Jef Costello was great. I also liked Cathy Rosier's portrayal as Valérie, the pianist. Again, subtle. Like the palette, no one is screaming and yelling and being outrageous, but I liked her coolness.
What else now but the plot? It's a typical crime plot - nothing really hidden happening here. I remember the first time I watched the film, I was skeptical of the title, but it holds its meaning in the end. But yeah, Le samouraï is not trying anything crazy here. It's a fun movie, but is taken to a new level with the aesthetics of it.
That's all I really have to say about Le samouraï. It's a film that isn't daring to go crazy, but it definitely has a lot of beauty to it. If you like old crime films, check it out. If you like beautiful shots, check it out. If you like a super chill Alain Delon, check it out. And if you're familiar with Melville and never checked this one out, that's a crime itself. Happy viewing!
Psst... Sorry about the roman numeral screw-up. Everything should be in order now.
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