
Le Samouraï (1967) · Jean-Pierre Melville
Style and class unlike any other
An aesthetically mesmerizing neo-noir crime thriller masterpiece that oozes with so much style and class unlike any other. The most iconic film from both Alain Delon and Jean-Pierre Melville’s larger than life careers, which tells the story of Jef Costello, a meticulous and calculated hitman who, harboring samurai instincts, is forced to fend for himself from both the law and his contractors after a hit that leaves him as the prime suspect.
Le Samourai is more focused on telling it’s story visually rather than relying on dialogue, giving you extended scenes of such simplicity that are absolutely riveting to sit through until they finally play out. This film is a time capsule of contemporary Paris in the 1960s and not even for a single second do you feel the compulsion to want to escape.
Reviewed on Letterboxd on 25 July 2023