1960’s France was a hell of a place when it came to film. It was a time when the established rules of the medium were being shattered while new rules were being written. Jean-Pierre Melville was a French (surprise) director who laid the foundations for this artistic revolution with his debut films Le Silence de la Mer and Bob Le Flambeur, yet his greatest (or second greatest, arguably) film achievement would be the 1967 deconstructive masterpiece Le Samourai. Le Samourai would go on to become one of the most influential films ever made, so lets talk about what makes it so great.

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The Plot:

The story of Le Samourai can be referred to by two terms: simple and spiraling. The overall premise of the film is a hitman named Jef Costello (our protagonist) carries out a hit on a person and is seen by a witness sparking a police investigation that results in him being hounded by the commissioner. This description sounds very conventional for a crime thriller even for the time, however the greatest strength of this film in terms of plot is the precision of it. The first word isn’t spoken until, almost exactly, ten minutes into the film and its Jef’s name. The hit is carried out, almost exactly, at minute fifteen. The antagonist, the commissioner is introduced exactly twenty minutes in. This wonderfully punctual screenplay is one of the keys to this films quality. It’s the main trait that separates Melville’s filmography from other directors and provides his distinct style. The plot of Le Samourai is not particularly unique (mostly due to the amount of movies since that have “borrowed” ideas and concepts) but the way that all the pieces are combined and the way the story is incredibly fresh and original but that has more to do with the more physical movie making and auditory success.

 

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The Movie Magic:

The first thing you’re likely to notice in Le Samourai is the color. This film almost appears like a black and white film through the bleak color pallet. Everything is grey, white, beige, black, and metallic. When I was watching the film I immediately feel the loneliness that this film hands out in spades. The streets of Paris are usually depicted as alive with foot traffic, but in Le Samourai they are almost deserted. The few people we do see walking in the background feel detached from the world like spectres in their own little stories. This isn’t to say that the films world is lifeless; the few dialogues in the film are surprisingly snappy. It’s the way the film defines its characters as used to the coldness of their lives. While the cinematography is fantastic, subtly slick and stylish. Really the greatest way the film creates its tone is through its sound. I have already mentioned sparse dialogue but it really must be seen to be believed, I’m talking near silent film level here. This silence allows us to invest in the visuals and it is a testament to the writing that we always know what’s happening and what’s going on without being explicitly told. It creates a unique tension to the film as more story beats hit keeping us on our toes. The silence also puts us into Jef’s mind, we experience thematically his methodical nature and loose connection with the rest of humanity, he doesn't pay attention to the white noise so why should the audience. The last thing I want to cover is the score. The music is this beautifully composed combination of proper noir instrumental string instruments combined with a melancholy, even funky organ… It’s kind of weird, almost otherworldly yet absolutely spellbindingly beautiful. I found myself sitting through the credits just listening to the score play. It’s just magnificent. The silent power of the film that is emotionally moving in its simplicity. I’m a fairly jaded and cynical person but this movie has so many wonderful themes and moments that touched me in ways I was not expecting. Everyone should watch this film and I look forward to re-experiencing it in the future.