Le Samouraï is a 1967 movie written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville.
Le Samouraï tells the story of Jef Costello, an assassin who performs a contract killing but is then brought under police suspicion. Facing pressure from both detectives and his shadowy employers, Costello becomes a hunted man.
Alain Delon is a precise, quietly dynamic and occasionally intense presence throughout Le Samouraï but the greatest star is the easy, mellow sense of cool that drifts throughout the movie. Jean-Pierre Melville captures an environment that is effortlessly sophisticated, yet dreary and ominous.
The world of Le Samourai is also distinct in its loneliness. Costello inhabits a world chilled by Melville’s blue and gray hues. He is a professional assassin disconnected from the emotions of the world. His only tangible relationship is with Jane, a sometimes lover and convenient alibi.
It is Costello’s alibi – a marvel of efficiency – that proves his undoing. After executing a hit, he is seen leaving the crime and later brought in for a police lineup. He is initially cleared but his meticulous story creates suspicion for Francois Perier’s Le Comissaire, who is investigating the murder.
Costello’s isolation is striking. Because of the police involvement, he is now a threat to his underworld employers. He escapes a murder attempt, only to return home bloodied to his lonely apartment. His only companion is a chirping bird.
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