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Le samouraï (1967)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 6/08

LeSam
6/08: A victim of trying too hard to be the coolest and most intelligent movie ever, Le samouraï is a near masterpiece.

One thing is for sure: the style is impeccable. Alain Delon couldn't be any happier when he was given the easiest role of his life. He hardly does anything but to look cool. Now, I see where Brain De Palma got the idea of Frank Nitti's appearance for The Untouchables.

The in/exterior sets are lovely done, and it's nice to see the locales of Paris be taken advantage of for the neo-noir look. Unfortunately, the pace is slow, causing some scenes to drag out longer than necessary.

Jef Costello is kind of dumb for an assassin. Would he think of this a better idea if he ditched the hat and the raincoat? Or perhaps he hid himself somewhere else like inside of a closet? It might have avoided all the problems for him.

I hate the ending, preferring Jef to kill the black girl and not be caught for it. I'm surprised at the amount of dialogue. In fact, I would be cool with the whole thing had it been done in silence. It'll serve as a "fuck you" message to the public to show that "talk is overrated."

All in all, Le samouraï is a nice addition to the neo-noir genre, and I look forward to seeing it again.