Influence, Legacy, Homage
Unfortunately, Le Samourai was released–cruelly subtitled–in the U.S. five year after it had been made, and with little critical attention at the time, did not get the audiences it deserved.
In a glorious career spanning six decades, Le Samouraï boasts one of the legendary Alain Delon’s most immaculate and fully realized performances, relying more on subtle gestures than explicit dialogue, which is deliberately minimal and sparse.
However, over time, Melville’s neo-noir crime was reevaluated and elevated by a younger and savvier generation of critics, especially auteurist reviewers influenced by Andrew Sarris of the “Village Voice.”
Grade: A (***** out of *****)
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Theatrical release poster
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The film has influenced numerous other films and directors, both American and non-American
Walter Hill’s 1978 film The Driver features similar dynamics between a reluctant female witness and a getaway driver.
John Woo’s 1989 film The Killer was influenced by Le Samouraï, with the pianist replaced by a singer. Chow Yun-fat’s character Jeffrey Chow (character name for Ah Jong) was inspired by Delon’s similarly named character Jef Costello.
Woo acknowledged the influence by writing a short essay on Le Samouraï and Melville’s style for the Criterion Collection DVD release.
Jim Jarmusch paid homage to Le Samouraï with the 1999 crime-drama Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, starring Forest Whitaker as a meditative, loner assassin who lives by the bushido code. Just as Costello has a huge ring of keys that enables him to steal any Citroën DS, the hitman Ghost Dog has an electronic “key” to break into luxury cars.
Pang Ho-Cheung’s 2001 crime comedy You Shoot, I Shoot features Eric Kot as hitman who idolizes Alain Delon’s Jef Costello, dressing like the character and speaking to Costello via Le Samouraï poster in his apartment.
Johnnie To’s 2009 film Vengeance is an homage to Melville’s gangster films, and the main character is a retired assassin whose last name is Costello. To offered the role to Alain Delon, who turned it down.
Anton Corbijn’s 2010 The American stars George Clooney as assassin, who bears a resemblance to Costello, hiding in a small Italian village.
Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 Drive stars Ryan Gosling as nameless man who shares some characteristics with Costello.
Madonna’s 2012 song “Beautiful Killer” is homage to Delon and alludes to his role in Le Samouraï with the lines: “You are a beautiful killer / I like your silhouette when you stand on the streets / Like a samurai you can handle the heat / Makes me wanna pray for a haunted man.”
Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s 2020 Yellow Cat features a man who performs scenes from Le Samourai.
David Fincher’s 2023 neo-noir The Killer was compared to Le Samouraï.
Credits:
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
Screenplay by Melville, Georges Pellegrin
Produced by Raymond Borderie, Eugène Lépicier
Cinematography Henri Decaë
Edited by Monique Bonnot, Yolande Maurette
Music by François de Roubaix
Distributed by: S.N. Prodis (France)
Release date: October 25, 1967
Running time: 105 minutes
Box office 1.9 million admissions (France)
