Le Samourai (Melville, 1967)

[fizz]

Steely faced Alain Delon (think of him as a French Christopher Reeve) played the title character in this beautifully shot, meticulously realised crime film about an assassin who plans his hit with such precision that when a police detective nails him as a possible suspect eventually, he has an impossible time accusing him of the crime because all the trails connecting him to the crime are covered with precision. What makes the film unique from the outset is the manner in which we follow just one character before he mercilessly murders a nightclub owner and then continue to stay with him while he is betrayed by his employers, and chased in a massive police manhunt through underground train stations, hotel rooms and busy streets in a manner that suggests a clear inspiration for the Bourne series.

We quickly discover that the film is about loneliness and isolation. This is established in the brilliant opening scene where the camera stays at Jeff, the assassin, for many long minutes as he blows trails of smoke in his hotel room while the shadows of cars passing by are reflected through the open windows. Indeed, the first line of dialogue is uttered at about the 10 minute mark, when he meets the woman who will provide him his alibi while he actually goes off to commit the crime. The film looks beautiful in every frame, whether it pans of the streets of France or when it is focused on the protagonists unblinking face. What is unique about the film that it is at its heart an ode to American Noir films. Jeff dresses in a long trench coat ala Bogey...the bar plays jazz music, the film, in colour, has hues of Grey and blue for the most part. Perhaps most rivetting is the slow boil approach; it is extremely detailed.

The lineup of the usual suspects is handled in manner I've never seen before on film, where every suspect is brought in front of the witnesses, and the camera goes over the confused look of every witness as they try to make up their mind. The entire proceeding exits around ambiguity, confusion and the need to be discreet. Why does the only woman who saw Jeff walk out of the crime scene confess to him not being the suspect? Is she in league with him? Has she fallen for him? There are so many commendable aspects of the film that a short review of it would not do it justice, but the film is clearly one of a kind in terms of charactization (those who enjoyed last years underrated 'El Custodio' will love this), direction, plotting and resolution. Even the detective on the trail is dangerously precise and uncharacteristically lethal in his abilities. At one point, relying purely on his gut feel that Jeff is indeed the killer, he makes Jeff lose his trench coat and hat when a witness arrives to identify him as being present at the alibi scene. Despite this, the witness is able to confess that Jeff was indeed present at alibi scene but was wearing a hat and coat. Details drive the film to the very end in a conclusion that is both as solemn as it is fitting to the tone of the film. Nuanced to the hilt, the film remains surprising stylish even by todays standards. A perfect crime thriller.

Rating: 5/5

[fizz]

The fantastic DVD cover by Criterion:

[madali]

Le Samourai (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)

Films about hitmen usually are not as action-oriented as one would expect. It seems it is the only genre of manly films that are more about the character than about the plot.

But it is specially so in “Le Samourai”. The hit is almost insignificant, since it happens so early, and what follows is the police chase, but even that is not that important. To me, when I thought about the film, I think, this may even be a different opinion than others, that the hitman in the film is actually not as professional as we may initially think.

He is cold and emotionless, and that may seem like he is professional when it comes to his job, but when I think more about it, I don’t think that is it. If you carefully look at the film, Jef is actually not as smart as we might think. He makes many mistakes in the film. After the hit, the police gather 400 suspects, and even though other suspects were caught with a gun on them, others had no alibi, and some even had police records, while Jef had an alibi, no gun, and no previous record, the police consider him as their primary suspect, even though most witnesses claim they hadn’t seen him. To me, this is because Jef was just not that good at his job.

Which to me is what makes the film most interesting. Jef is cold and emotionless, but it has little to do with how good he is at his job, but only the way he is. One might think that Jef isn’t like that because he is a hitman, but that he is a hitman BECAUSE he is like that. Jef, to me, seems incapable of social interactions, and this might have been the one job that he does not need emotions. If Jef does not smile or get angry, it is because he has a job that does not need him to put on such emotions. And there is also a part of me that sees Jef as a wannabe. He is stylish and cool, but I almost feel that it is a put on, like how he wants to be.  Jef is not a samurai, but wants to be. And ultimately, I think he fails at it, and that’s the film’s most interesting aspect.

2/5

[ayaa1977]

I thought I was crazy or did not get it, but I am glad someone else feel the same about this film. Ithough I did not get it. when I saw it I though it was boring and as Mad pointed out the plot doesn't make sense and events happen just because. Despite all that, apparently it is so beloved and held so high as a classic by many including our own Fizz, but not me.

[madali]

This is why I like ratings more than the other users. I think my post on the film might present it as somewhat positive, but I WAS bored by the film.