It’s always something of a jarring experience when you revisit films that changed the landscape and language of cinema. It’s so familiar to the point of parody, you can’t help but feel that its impact has been diluted, and you have to remind yourself that this is the film that invented the tropes and motifs that are now ingrained in your cinematic vocabulary. ‘Le Samouraï’ is one of those films. If you’ve ever watched a movie about a disaffected, dispassionately cool, methodical criminal, with their own personal code of honour—and I’m guessing you have—Jean-Pierre Melville’s ‘Le Samouraï’ is ground zero for this.
A seminal work in Melville’s career, and often regarded as his masterpiece, ‘Le Samouraï’ playfully blends American film noir with French New Wave existentialism. The haunting results would go on to define and influence the crime genre for decades. Already available on Criterion Blu-ray, it has now been given a fresh 4K UHD lick of paint, and new artwork to go with it. As always with 4K restorations of older films, the results are a mixed bag. There are moments where you will see no noticeable upgrade on the Blu-ray. There are other moments however where the image is so sharp and clear that it looks like it could have been shot yesterday. Essentially, when it’s good, it’s really bloody good.
‘Le Samourai’ is a simple tale of a botched assassination. Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a Parisian hitman, living a zen-like existence in his shabby, sparsely furnished apartment. He meticulously constructs an alibi before his latest job to execute a nightclub owner, but then makes a mistake after the hit is done, when he is seen by the clubs pianist (Cathy Rosier). With his perfectly structured method now shattered, he finds himself pursued by a persistent cop (François Périer) and the vengeful mobsters who hired him.
Shot in steely blues and greys, echoing the icy and impassive detachment of Costello’s lifestyle, this is a film of hard edges and cold hearts. Paris is presented not as a romantic metropolis, but as a labyrinth of shadows and narrow escapes. No better exemplified than in a brilliantly constructed chase sequence through the Metro. Henri Decaë's cinematography is pivotal in this regard, with its stark lighting and muted colour palette enhancing the sense of tension and isolation. Of course with Alain Delon’s beautiful face, sangfroid mystique, and iconic trench coat and fedora, urban alienation has never looked so chic.
‘Le Samouraï’ remains a captivating and profound exploration of the criminal mind and the solitary path of its enigmatic protagonist. The slow pace and minimal dialogue may be off-putting to viewers coming to it for the first time, but Melville’s precise and elegant direction, along with Delon’s icy cool performance make it essential viewing. And in this new restoration, it has never looked better. The Blu-ray Disc in this new edition comes with interviews with Melville and actors Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, and Cathy Rosier.
There are further interviews with Rui Nogueira, editor of Melville on Melville, and Ginette Vincendeau, author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris. Melville-Delon: D’honneur et de nuit (2011), is a short documentary exploring the friendship between the director and the actor and their iconic collaboration on ‘Le Samouraï’. The disc is rounded out with the trailer. The booklet comes with an essay by film scholar David Thomson, an appreciation by filmmaker John Woo, and excerpts from Melville on Melville.
Cast: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier Director: Jean-Pierre Melville Writer: Jean-Pierre Melville and Georges Pellegrin Released By: Spirit Entertainment Certificate: 12 Duration: 105 mins Release Date: 15th July 2024
