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Anyone seen "Le Samourai?"

post #1 of 19
1/29/04 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 
I rented this movie last night based on the box alone, and I've fallen in love with it.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has any thoughts on it's they'd share.
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post #2 of 19
2/1/04 at 9:55am
Alain Delon, right? It's one of those movies I've always intended to catch up with. Thanks for reminding me.
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post #3 of 19
2/1/04 at 2:38pm
LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Those are thoughts, right?
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post #4 of 19
2/1/04 at 5:53pm
Yeah, that's pretty much one of the best movies ever, honestly. Such a great fucking flick.
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post #5 of 19
2/2/04 at 12:57pm
Isn't this the basis or inspiration for The Killer? Or at least an influence on Woo? I swear I remember reading that some wear.

Anyway, where did you get it? I am curious, since I have never seen it.
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post #6 of 19
2/21/04 at 3:33am
Thread Starter 
I know the version I rented had a quote from Woo on the cover saying something like "the closest to a perfect film ever".
I can't get over this movie. I've rented it a couple of more times since and I can't find anything wrong with it. Another one of those movies that people don't really talk about on the "greatest films ever" lists but should be on them all.
Anyone know is there is a decent DVD version? The one I rented is fullscreen and VHS, old VHS at that too.
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post #7 of 19
2/21/04 at 3:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by Casey Moore

Anyway, where did you get it? I am curious, since I have never seen it.
Believe it or not, I found it in my local Hastings in the Foreign VHS section. The kicker is then even have two copies!
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post #8 of 19
2/22/04 at 1:08am
Its been a few years since i saw it last but still a very good film
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post #9 of 19
3/4/04 at 10:46am
The epitome of non-pseudo-hip cool.

The Chet Baker of gangster pictures.
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post #10 of 19
3/24/04 at 7:50pm
A couple of years ago I purchased a French Region 2 import Le Samourai. It's getting hard to find now but the transfer is excellent and is 16x9 enhanced.
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post #11 of 19
3/26/04 at 10:18pm
To play the devil's advocate's apprentice, this isn't what I'd define as a classic. It's a good movie to be sure, the whole thematic arc really shouldn't have taken more than an hour. The first time I saw it I remember thinking that it was a pretty good movie up until the last half hour when everyone started to actually talk. At first the louder scenes just shifted the mood too much for me, but looking back on it it's not really anything that said that I have a problem with, it's that I get the feeling that there's too much fat (I know that's an incredibly strange thing to say about this film). It's like they actually started to add more plot than necissary just to fill out the story to movie length.
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post #12 of 19
4/3/04 at 12:32am
Jean-Pierre Melville is one of the unsung heroes of cinema, yet so few know of him, that he rarely gets the recognition he deserves. Le Samourai is a brilliant and as David Thomson said, "it has a mystery in every corner." If you enjoyed this one, I'd definitely say rent Le Cercle Rouge and Bob Le Flambeur and this summer Rialto Pictures are rereleasing his film Le Doulos, which I haven't seen yet. I'd also like to get my hands on a copy of his Les Enfants Terribles which was scripted by Jean Cocteau.
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post #13 of 19
8/1/05 at 3:03am
Bumping this to see if anyone can say where I can pick up a copy of it. I've been looking for it for awhile.
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post #14 of 19
8/6/05 at 3:52am
Just checked the Criterion site, they've just listed it as coming out in October, looks good! I really want to see this.

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post #15 of 19
8/6/05 at 4:30am
Yeah I'll probably buy it also, knowing it's Woo's inspiration, but I got burned on Kagemusha (30 bucks at Best Buy) and it wasn't very good, so much for trusting "film" people on that one.
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post #16 of 19
8/6/05 at 11:06am
Anyone expecting massive amounts of slo-mo gunfights in Le Samourai will be HUGELY disappointed. It's a thriller, and a very deliberate one.
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post #17 of 19
6/14/11 at 6:15am

Watched this last week on a suggestion from Netflix. Very cool movie, very smooth, and obviously a precursor to the lonely, noble hitman movie that is so common today.

 

A little slow and surreal, but the pacing was deliberate as a nice, slow burn. The dialogue was kept to a minimum, but every time someone spoke it had impact.

 

Provocative bit of symbolism with the bird stuck in the cage, which keeps getting dirtier and dirtier.

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post #18 of 19
6/23/11 at 1:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bartleby_Scriven View Post

Watched this last week on a suggestion from Netflix. Very cool movie, very smooth, and obviously a precursor to the lonely, noble hitman movie that is so common today.

 

A little slow and surreal, but the pacing was deliberate as a nice, slow burn. The dialogue was kept to a minimum, but every time someone spoke it had impact.

 

Provocative bit of symbolism with the bird stuck in the cage, which keeps getting dirtier and dirtier.



I've been on a Jean Pierre Melville kick recently and I just watched this too, along with Le Cercle Rouge, Army of Shadows and Los Doulos. There's such a great calm in all of his movies, and I think there's a certain sort of acceptance that all the characters carry. They all know what they're doing, and accept the consequences of the lives they are living, so that when things end there is no distress and no regret. Jef is a great character and I love his last few scenes where he goes back to visit the girl, and then when he gets himself killed on purpose (commits seppouku?). Great, great film. 

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post #19 of 19
7/11/11 at 3:41am

Few years ago, I have seen this movie and I like Alain Delon work. He was Awesome.

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