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.

---

Plot Keywords:

french | murder | assassin | alibi | hitman | 

---

Taglines:

De kaldte ham Samoraien - den ensomme morder

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

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

When director Jean-Pierre Melville brought a copy of the script to Alain Delon, Delon asked him what the title was. When he was told the title was Le Samourai, Delon had Melville follow him to his bedroom, where there was only a leather couch and a samurai blade hanging on the wall.

---

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.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Referenced in A Cop (1972)

User Reviews

Melville's Masterpiece

I just recently saw this film for the first time (a la Criterion) and I was completely blown away. This film can be summed up with a single word: minimalism.

This is a work of true cinema. Hollywood tends to forget that cinema is first and foremost a visual art. Le Samurai is a film that could've been made as a silent movie. The director establishes meaning not with dialog but with the best tools available to a director; editing, mise en scenes, cinematography and composition. There is a constant feeling of solitude and isolation. Even when the protagonist finds himself in large groups, his face is pale, his eyes are cast downward and he is still a constant outsider.

On another note, the film looks surprisingly modern. There's none of the graininess of many other 60s and 70s films. Rather, the lighting and the whole visual aesthetic is pitch perfect, from the black and white nightclub (dualism) to the sparse gray apartment to the subterranean eeriness of the Paris subway.

Personally, I would not recommend this film to people not interested in real cinema, people who like 'movies' rather than 'film', simply because there's a strong possibility it will seem extremely annoying and boring to you. On the other hand, if you're a fan of serious cinema, do yourself a favor and watch this film.