Le Samouraï
(1967)
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Le Samouraï
(1967)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Alain Delon | ... | ||
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François Périer | ... |
The Superintendant
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Nathalie Delon | ... |
Jane Lagrange
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Cathy Rosier | ... |
Valérie, la pianiste
(as Caty Rosier)
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Jacques Leroy | ... |
Gunman
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Michel Boisrond | ... |
Wiener
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Robert Favart | ... |
Barkeeper
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Jean-Pierre Posier | ... |
Olivier Rey
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Catherine Jourdan | ... |
Hatcheck Girl
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Roger Fradet | ... |
1st inspector
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Carlo Nell | ... |
2nd inspector
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Robert Rondo | ... |
3d inspector
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André Salgues | ... |
Garage keeper
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André Thorent | ... |
Policeman /
cab driver
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Jacques Deschamps | ... |
Policeman
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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. Written by Leon Wolters <wolters@strw.LeidenUniv.nl>
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.