Le Samourai(1967)- the movie which inspired Taxi driver and Drive
“There is no solitude greater than a samurai's, unless it is that of a tiger in the jungle perhaps”
Le Samourai is a 1967 French neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville starring the actors Alain Delon, Nathalie Delon and Cathy Rosier.
The movie is highly regarded as Genre-bending masterpiece which has inspired other sensational movies like The taxi driver, Drive (2011) and the American, to name a few. Le Samourai has been credited as one of the creators of the lone wolf archetype of character in popular culture.
The film follows a professional contract killer named Jef Costello and his struggle to survive as the police and his employer close in on him. It shows Jef Costello to be a mysterious man of a stoic silent demeanor who lives by himself and his pet bird, a similar archetype of Ryan Gosling’s character from Drive (2011) and Travis Bickle from Deniro’s Taxi driver.
Why should you watch this movie?
Le Samourai is a rather slow burn of a movie contrasted with the fast paced crime thrillers we are used to, however it manages to retain your attention for all of its 1 hour 45 minutes runtime.
Contrary to what most assume, the movie barely has action scenes and focuses more on the mundane activities and the thrill of escape of Jef Costello. Jean-Pierre uses minimalist aesthetic and very little dialogue to express the story and does it masterfully as well.
The cinematography and the sound design were leagues ahead of its time, the movie is shot gritty with a very desaturated aesthetic to it. It is a color film but only barely so, in a way it reflects the mundane dull life of Jef Costello perfectly. The iconic theme of the movie is something you would grow to enjoy throughout the movie and is honestly perfect for the movie.
The highlight of the movie will be the performance of Alain Delon, his portrayal of Jef Costello cannot be topped. His silent brave stares speak volumes and the little nuances in his character, like the adjustment of his hat Jef does every time he goes out. Alain Delon makes Jef Costello a hitman with no morals, a likable badass who you root for till the very end.
The Influence and legacy of Le Samourai
As mentioned before the movie has helped popularize the lone wolf character archetype in popular media.
A lot of old cinema portrayed their protagonists as charming, charismatic suave men which did become the norm. Jean-Pierre portrays his character as a lonely silent mysterious shroud of a figure which paved the way for the Travis Bickles, The drivers and Lou Blooms to become popular characters.
The movie has won many accolades like named the 39th best movie in the Empire’s list of “100 best films of world cinema”.
All in all if you have read this till the end, I would highly recommend closing the site and giving this one a watch.
Thank you and share this with another Cinephile friend if you enjoyed it.
