From the Back Row: Le Samouraï
If you missed the first edition of From the Back Row, it’s going to be an occasional editorial where I’ll take a look at films that I believe don’t get the recognition, attention, or discussion that they deserve - with the ultimate hope of inspiring people that haven’t seen the films to check them out. This edition we’re going to take a look at a personal favorite of mine, the 1967 Jean-Pierre Melville directed French film Le Samouraï.
Starring Alain Delon, who has a knack for working with legends like Melville including Michelangelo Antonioni and Luchino Visconti, Le Samouraï is the reflective, deliberately-paced tale of a perfectionist hitman named Jef Costello - a man of honor, of pride, of principles who abides by a strict, methodical code in every part of his life.
The film starts off with a long take of Costello in bed, smoking a cigarette, before a line of text from the Japanese samurai Book of Bushido appears on the screen: “There is no solitude greater than the samurai’s, unless perhaps it be that of a tiger in the jungle.” With that and the look in Costello’s eyes, we understand what he is, who he is - a loner with an obsessive code of honor who is a part of a twisted world that he’ll never truly belong to.
The film soon follows Costello on a job and his carefully planned, detail-obsessed ways are apparent - until he goes to the nightclub where he shoots the owner and is seen by the nightclub’s beautiful pianist Valérie. Yet, when he is picked up for a police line-up, the combination of Costello’s planned alibi and the denial by Valérie that he is the killer sets him free - although the Police Superintendent isn’t convinced, despite the lack of evidence. Soon after, Costello attempts to collect the money from his employer who attempts to kill him. With both the police and his employer on his tail, the prideful Costello refuses to roll over or cut his losses as he gets deeper and deeper into a hole that even his perfectionist, clever ways can’t seem get him out of.
While this has inspired the likes of Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Woo’s The Killer and Besson’s Leon: The Professional, this movie is still its own breed - one that I’ve still been unable to compare anything to. For some, it will be a tough pill to swallow, as there is very little violence and action - something that most would simply expect from a movie about a hitman. What left me so impressed with the film was how similar it seemed Melville was to his film’s protagonist - every single shot seems perfectly crafted and planned, the unhurried pace seems so deliberate, the jazz-influenced score intentionally goes hand-in-hand with the atmosphere Melville created. Looking from afar, there isn’t a whole lot to the premise, but Melville creates such suspense and mood with all of the subtleties and Alain Delon captures the essence of Jef Costello so perfectly (Jef Costello gets my vote for coolest movie hitman ever) that once you delve deeper and begin to interpret, you’ll be spending hours dissecting every single frame, every moment. While I won’t give it away here, the ending is one that will stick with you for days afterwards, one that you’ll mull over in your mind over and over until you finally come to your own conclusion. Then you’ll realize you’re still not entirely sure what you think.
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Purchase Le Samouraï at Amazon
One of my favorite movies, for sure …I need to give this a second viewing, too, since second viewings are always far better than the first.
Alain Delon is a superb actor. I think I’ve only seen him in this, The Leopard, and Rocco and His Brothers …but his performance in Rocco is just absolutely breathtaking. And in this, it’s nearly as good in a different sort of way.
Comment by Roy Power — January 1, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
Melville has certainly been getting the recognition over the past couple of years. A Criterion edition of La Samourai. A 30+ year belated release of Army of Shadows (which made may critics 2006 best of lists), and a glossy, stylish remake of Le Douxieme Souffle (I’ve seen it, it’s good).
I still can’t believe I’ve not caught up with La Samourai, but you’ve added more pressure to do so!
Comment by Kurt — January 1, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
I have to confess I haven’t seen Le Samourai yet. I did see L’Armee des ombres last year and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Comment by Mercurie — January 1, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
Oh man, Kurt. I’m 2 for 2 on these From the Back Row’s for you. I know it’s a busy time of year for the theatre-goer, but have you gotten to The Great Silence yet, my good man?
Comment by Jonathan — January 1, 2008 @ 10:38 pm
And Roy, I’m yet to watch Rocco and His Brothers although I hear time and time again how great it is. The Red Circle is the one of his I really want to see more than any other though.
Kurt, have you watched Army of Shadows? It’s been near the top of my list for a while now of films I need to watch, but… just haven’t gotten around to it.
Outside of Le Samourai, I’m actually pretty ignorant when it comes to Melville, which is odd since I love this so much, you’d think I’d have plowed through his filmography by now… but it’s pretty much impossible since I canceled my Netflix a few months ago and with all these great movies coming out in theatres this time of year.
Comment by Jonathan — January 2, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Army of Shadows is amazing. It’s a tough call of whether I like Le Samurai or Army of Shadows more. Haven’t had a chance to watch my Criterion AoS yet, but it’s high on my To Do list.
Comment by Matt Gamble — January 2, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
Truly great piece of Cinema. Where is the texture, the capture of time occurring in todays film world that is found in this story of motion pictures. Yes, little violence. But the character, the behavior, is a violence of its own. A very deliberate violence. Beautiful.
Comment by D,Wolf — January 4, 2008 @ 1:32 am