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Le samouraï The Criterion Collection

Criterion Collection

Blu-ray

Alain Delon (Actor), Jean-Pierre Melville (Director) Rated:

107 customer reviews

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Editorial Reviews

In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, a contract killer
with samurai instincts. After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him. An elegantly stylized masterpiece of cool by maverick director Jean-Pierre Melville, Le samourai is a razor-sharp cocktail of 1940s American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop culture with a liberal dose of Japanese lone-warrior mythology.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
- New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Interviews with Rui Nogueira, editor of Melville on Melville, and Ginette Vincendeau, author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris
- Archival interviews with Melville and actors Alain Delon, François Perier, Nathalie Delon, and Cathy Rosier
- Melville-Delon: D'Honneur et de nuit (2011), a short documentary exploring the friendship between the director and the actor and their iconic collaboration on this film
- Trailer - PLUS: An essay by film scholar David Thomson, an appreciation by filmmaker John Woo, and excerpts from Melville on Melville

Product details

Actors: Alain Delon
Directors: Jean-Pierre Melville
Format: Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: French
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated:
PG
Parental Guidance Suggested
Studio: Criterion Collection
DVD Release Date: November 14, 2017
Run Time: 105 minutes
Average Customer Review: 107 customer reviews
ASIN: B074R646KJ
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,985 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #134 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Foreign Films
- #721 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Mystery & Thrillers
- #1356 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Drama

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One of the best films I have ever seen

July 20, 2012

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

In elegant yet dreary 1960s Paris, Jef Costello (portrayed by Alain Delon) lives a life of solitude as a ronin and car thief who lives alone in a shabby apartment with a pet wren. He is unflinching in his killings as well as taciturn, calm, handsome, slick and an expert at hand-to-hand combat and firearms. As he carries out hits for organized crime, he may have made some mistakes, including letting the comely jazz performer Valérie (Cathy Rosier) who may be a police witness live. She does not identify him but it appears the police superintendant (François Périer) is slowly gathering evidence on Costello and the mobsters he worked as a freelance troubleshooter for may try to stab him in his back. Paranoia and angst run high as Costello's life as a cold-blooded hitman may be coming to an end in an overcast and gloomy Paris.

The story of this film is simple but the themes, characters and imagery are anything but. Costello is a compelling protagonist as he does not kill for revenge, pleasure or even money as he lives in a run down tenement. It seems like his religious commitment to the samurai code and lifestyle is the only possible purpose that keeps him going. The story-line between him and Valerie is also a wonderful development; can he develop feelings for anyone, perhaps this kind-hearted woman he has at least reciprocated deeds with? The answer is brilliantly not revealed until the very end. Delon deserves acclaim for his performance. His character does not have many lines but his body language and occasional gestures give clues and insights to his personality and intentions. Rosier and Périer provide great supporting performances as well. I also love the little touches in the film that Melville weaves into "Le Samourai" such as a character's minor decision involving a ticket that portends his fate.

This film's sights are almost as captivating as the story as it unfolds. The city of Paris is shown in glory and in caliginosity, and it becomes a fascinating "co-star" throughout the entirety of the film. With expert cinemotography featuring sepia and dark gris colors as well as rainy weather, this film is really a hybrid of black and white film noir and colorful neo-noir. Jean Pierre Melville uses excellent direction, pacing and shots to piece together a raveling tale of modernism, isolation and possible redemption from amorality. Nathalie Delon (Alain Delon's then-wife) does well in the role of a woman Costello often pays to be an alibi, which leads to a few interesting scenes in a sub-plot of investigator Périer attempting to solicit information from her. François De Roubaix also deserves much credit for his brilliant music which provides a haunting eerie tune at times, excitement at others and even French folk music which adds an even more powerful ambiance for viewers of this film. I recommend the Le Samourai soundtrack.

This is one of the most fascinating films I have ever seen and a masterpiece of noir cinema.

8 people found this helpful

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Davis Hall

Great Film -- Good Extras

December 8, 2017

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

This is a great movie. It is very much a film of its time. Delon was beautiful, but ice cold as the title character. This is not a fast moving thriller, but a careful examination of events and characters. If you don't know Melville's work, this is a good place to start.

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Publicly posted as

One of the five to ten best movies made during the 1960's

September 8, 2016

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

One of the five to ten best movies made during the 1960's. A fantastic classic. A must see. A must own. Maybe my second or third favorite films of all time. I have about 100 Criterion films I've watched. This is easily terrific for everything. I want to give it more than 5 stars.

3 people found this helpful

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January 5, 2012

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

Le Samourai is a great film and is Melville's homage to the Alan Ladd Veronica Lake noir masterpiece This Gun for Hire and the police procedural docu noirs of the late 1940's. The Criterion presentation of this film is very good............why a film of this import is presented sans commentary is beyond belief; however, we are left with a couple of talking heads spouting antecdotes about Melville without any real quality insights and some interviews with Delon,his wife, and Melville himself which are pretty intersting particularly when Melville accuses competitors of setting fire to his studio during which the bird in the movie died.

This film is recommended without hesitation...........do not buy these reviews that the film is boring.....A great double feature is to watch This Gun for Hire and LeSamourai in the same evening..........it is seventh heaven for noir fans.

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fry

The restoration makes this film look like it could be released today

February 7, 2018

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

This is the first Criterion film I bought and I was floored. The restoration makes this film look like it could be released today. Everything looks beautiful in HD. The film is slow and quiet but it never lets you go. Never experienced anything like that from film before. A beautiful look into 1960s Paris and overall a classic. The special features are adequate but it could of definitely used a full film commentary.

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Carl William Caulfield

Masterpiece of minimalism

May 9, 2010

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

Le Samourai is a masterpiece of minimalism and existential cool with wonderful images and a cool jazz sound score and Jean-Pierre Melville's always excellent aesthetic sense. Alain Delon is absolutely perfect as the death-driven lone wolf Jeff Costello. He is silent for most of the film, but his eyes and iconic, precise acting style convey such a lot. His performance is very well contrasted by the much more loquacious Inspector on the hunt played by Francois Perier. The isolation and doom-laden claustrophobia of Costello's life are counterpointed by great moments of suspense and intrigue - such as the chase on the Paris Metro! As ever, the Criterion collection shows great taste in selecting such works and the DVD offers good context with interviews and further comment. An absolute must for fans of Jean-Pierre Melville!

2 people found this helpful

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December 27, 2016

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

a classic...moody new wave

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Trevor Willsmer

A great film but a slightly disappointing DVD from Criterion

December 15, 2006

Format: DVDVerified Purchase

Le Samourai, Jean-Pierre Melville's riff on This Gun For Hire, is another of Criterion's slightly disappointing recent discs. The film is superb and the extras are okay but not outstanding (Melville trying a little too hard not to blame rival studios for the fire that destroyed his own studio during filming is the highlight) but the transfer, while acceptable, is nowhere near the standard of the deleted French DVD, or even the Russian one for that matter, both of which are much sharper. It's still a great exercise in pure filmmaking, but I'm glad I didn't trade in the French PAL disc, which boasts superior picture quality, before seeing this transfer.

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Most recent customer reviews

donghoon lee

Five Stars

Just buy it.

Published 2 months ago

kalan j. bruner

Five Stars

Everything was great. I would order from these guys again. Thanks!

Published 3 months ago

Michael Munchbach

Good Product. Arrived damaged.

Good product, nobody could be bothered to ensure it wasn't damage when it arrived. Case has pretty irritating damage.

Published 4 months ago

Richie

A+

Published 8 months ago

ANT

the men in planet movie french the best 1500%

Published 1 year ago

Long Tom

Yes, This Is Supposed To Be Art

This is not intended to be a run-of-the-mill gangster flick. Note that gangsters are people who commit their crimes and then live the high life in their off-hours.Read more

Published 1 year ago

One with Guy

It is sort of cool that the sub-titles fly by so fast you may ...

It is sort of cool that the sub-titles fly by so fast you may not be able to read them, the cool part is that it is like the rest of the movie, a smokey jazz filled intrigue...Read more

Published 1 year ago

Customer

Two Greats Make A Great Classic Crime Movie

Melville and Delon: two creative talents made for each other. A great film. Delon's unresponsive face, his blank staring eyes, are bits of great, subtle acting.Read more

Published on February 3, 2016

Richard

Enertaining

Odd movie , but entertaining. I bought it to see Alain Delon.

Published on November 8, 2015

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