Le Samouraï (1967)
"Le samouraï" (original title)

Things suddenly go badly for a successful French assassin.

Director:

Jean-Pierre Melville

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Melville, Georges Pellegrin,

Stars:

Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alain Delon	...	Jef Costello
François Périer	...	The Superintendant
Nathalie Delon	...	Jane Lagrange
Cathy Rosier	...	Valérie, la pianiste (as Caty Rosier)
Jacques Leroy	...	Gunman
Michel Boisrond	...	Wiener
Robert Favart	...	Barkeeper
Jean-Pierre Posier	...	Olivier Rey
Catherine Jourdan	...	Hatcheck Girl
Roger Fradet	...	1st inspector
Carlo Nell	...	2nd inspector
Robert Rondo	...	3d inspector
André Salgues	...	Garage keeper
André Thorent	...	Policeman / cab driver
Jacques Deschamps	...	Policeman

Storyline

Hitman Jef Costello is a perfectionist who always carefully plans his murders and who never gets caught. One night however, after killing a night-club owner, he's seen by witnesses. His efforts to provide himself with an alibi fail and more and more he gets driven into a corner.

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Plot Keywords:

french | murder | assassin | alibi | hitman | 

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Taglines:

De kaldte ham Samoraien - den ensomme morder

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

25 October 1967 (France)

Also Known As:

The Godson

Filming Locations:

11 Boulevard de l'Amiral Bruix, Paris 16, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$39,481 (USA) (28 February 1997)

Gross:

$39,481 (USA) (28 February 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (CICC), Fida Cinematografica, Filmel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Melville worried how he was going to shoot the scene where Jef drives the stolen car right into the scrap garage. Without missing a beat, Delon drove the car down the narrow alley and into the garage in one shot.

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Goofs

When rounding up suspects the inspector refers to the population as 10 million. The 1968 population of Paris city proper was only 2.6 million. The population of the urban area was only 8.2 million.

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Quotes

Jane Lagrange: I like it when you come round, because you need me.

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Connections

Referenced in Léon: The Professional (1994)

User Reviews

Melville's masterpiece is pure seduction...

This film starts off with the same sound like Sergio Leone's 'C'era un volta il west', but it's just that here the sound is made not by a plate, but a canary, the cold-blooded killer's canary.

This film was made in 1967, the French nouveau vague already apparent all over the place, but with much more subtle undertones than, say, a work by Truffaut.

No, Melville's films were old-school, but at the same time revolutionary, in a delicate way. Take for example the 'chase' scene through the Metro. Practically nothing happens: there are no gunfights, no combat sequences, perhaps just a small chase. But it is Melville's camera and Delon's inimitable performance that keep the audience mesmerized all the way.

The camera practically flirts with the audience throughout the whole movie, picking the most interesting angles and achieving so much practically without any effort. Delon's character changes his expression only once or twice during the movie, shoots faster than even Leone's gunslingers and never forgets to feed his canary. To me, one of the most accomplished antiheroes of the whole genre.

The dialogue is barely there, but when it is, then it's something you'd probably wish you would have come up with yourself. It is a minimalist work that achieves the absolute maximum. Simply put: one of the best crime noirs ever made.