Considered by many as a definitive exploration of cloak-and-dagger tales as well as existentialist philosophy, Le Samourai, directed by one of the stalwarts of French Nouvelle Vague Movement (though not as universally recognized) – Jean-Pierre Melwille, the movie follows a professional hitman’s slow decline from glory thanks to a minor blemish in an otherwise efficient assassination job at a Parisian nightclub. The blemish (in this case a fatal mistake) of course is that he has mixed pleasure (read 'heart') with work. The lucid narration, the minimalist set-pieces, the languid pace, the evocative camera work that is more lyrical than taut (in a masterful genre-bending move), and a memorable anti-climax filled with irony and detached emotion – this acclaimed French post-noir has been referred to by John Woo as closest to the mythical “perfect movie”.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Genre: Post-Noir/Crime Thriller/Existential Drama/Gangster Movie
Language: French
Country: France
