Weekends with LE SAMOURAÏ

LE SAMOURAÏ (1967)

Starring Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier, Jacques Leroy, Jean-Pierre Posier. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. (105 min)

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

I used to get excited for the weekend because it meant turning loose with friends and staying out until the wee hours of the night. Sure, I paid for such revelry the next day, but hey, recovery is what Sundays were made for. If you did Saturday right, anyway.

Weekends are still awesome, of course. But what excites me about them these days is that’s usually when my wife breaks out the casserole dish, meaning she’s getting ready to throw together something mind blowing. I also look forward to staying in my pajamas the entire day (perhaps only removing them to thank the wife for such awesome comfort food). 

And at my house, weekends are also made for film noir. 

Though I’ve been an avid movie lover my entire life, I’ve only dived into the dark pleasures of film noir over the past 20 years or so. So not only have I been turned on to some of the all-time classics during that time, there are still dozens and dozens I have yet to check out. I have Eddie Muller to thank for a lot of that. He's the host of TCM’s Noir Alley, which airs on Saturday nights. In addition to the iconic films, I've also been introduced to a ton of others I never knew existed. 

One such film was 1967’s Le Samouraï, which was an eye opening reminder that not every great film noir came out of Hollywood. Hailing from France, it was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, best known for crafting dark, stylish crime thrillers. I suppose this one might more accurately be considered neo-noir, especially with an overall aesthetic more akin to the French New Wave movement (which Melville was part of) than the traditional look and tone typically associated with the genre. Either way, this film is a masterpiece.

The late, great Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, an enigmatic freelance hitman. In a dialogue-free opening sequence that I can’t help but think had an influence on Charles Bronson’s 1972 classic, The Mechanic, Costello meticulously carries out the contract killing of a local nightclub owner while the place is open. Maybe not meticulous enough, though, since several witnesses see him leave. On the other hand, he’s also created an airtight alibi for himself, instructing call girl/girlfriend Jane (Nathalie Delon, Alain’s wife at the time) to claim he was with her at the time of the killing.

""Time to recycle those bottles, Jef."

Costello is rounded up by the police along with dozens of others to stand in a line-up before the witnesses. Though a few think the killer might be Costello, the only one who clearly saw him, club performer Valerie (Cathy Rosier), does not identify him as the man they’re looking for. With a concrete alibi and no solid witness statements, Costello is released, though the Commissaire in charge of the investigation (François Périer), is convinced of his guilt. While repeatedly grilling Jane to come clean with her story, he instructs dozens of officers to tail Costello wherever he goes. 

Meanwhile, the man who hired Costello for the hit in the first place, Olivier Rey (Jean-Pierre Posier), wants to ties up loose ends, but an initial attempt to kill Costello fails. Costello now wonders if Valerie was instructed not to identify him in the line-up so the mob could get to him first. With both sides of the law now hunting for him, Costello looks to settle the score with Rey. He’s also offered another contract, which he accepts, and his new target figures prominently in the climax, leading to a surprising resolution related to the fate of a major character. I'm not gonna spoil that here.

Le Samouraï is a moody, tension-filled film with a compelling story, a few great plot twists and excellent cinematography that nicely captures the atmosphere of urban Paris streets. But what makes the film crackle is its protagonist. Living alone in a seedy apartment with a gaged bird, Jef Costello is an intriguing character…smart, calculating and emotionally aloof. He knows Paris like the back of his hand, relying on stolen cars and the subway to get around, yet almost always staying a step ahead of his pursuers. Aside from his relationship with Jane (which appears to be more of a business arrangement), we know little about him beyond his methods. And since he says very little throughout much of the film, we’re never certain what Costello is thinking or contemplating. Hell, we’re not quite sure we should even be rooting for this guy.

"Stay!"

Yet almost immediately, we’re totally invested in him - a superlative antihero - which is largely due to Delon’s steely performance. For years, the only thing I knew him from was The Concorde: Airport ‘79, the infamous titanic trashbag that ended up being his last ill-fated attempt at Hollywood stardom. But I’ve since discovered he’s starred in some absolute bangers in his home country, such as The Sicilian Clan, Three Men to Kill, Borsalino and Le Cercle Rouge, the last of which was also directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (and also a masterpiece). Based on what I’ve seen of his work so far, Delon may not have been gifted with a ton of range, but like Steve McQueen on this side of the pond, he had gobs of charisma. 

At the time I first saw it, Le Samouraï was sort of a revelation. In addition to the American classics I love, there’s great film noir (and neo-noir) to be found all over the world....such gems as The Third Man, Rififi, Symphony for a Massacre, The Beast Must Die, Cast a Dark Shadow, The Good Die Young and gobs of others. Some are acknowledged classics, others wonderful obscurities, but they were all new to me. Along with the wife's Jedi skills with a casserole dish, they're part of what makes this ol' movie lover's weekends exciting...and hangover free!