The film was released on 25 October 1967, and it sold over 1.9 million tickets in France.[8] It received positive reviews, with particular praise given to Melville's screenwriting and atmospheric direction, and Delon's performance. An English-dubbed version of the film was released in the U.S. in 1972 asThe Godson.
Delon and Melville crystallize a film cited as one of the most influential in history, which will become an essential reference for many filmmakers.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] ManyNew Hollywood films and critical successes contain explicit references toLe Samouraï and the character of Jef Costello played by Delon.[16][17][18][19]
Impassive hitman Jef Costello lives in a spartan single-room Paris apartment and keeps a small bird in a cage as a pet. His methodicalmodus operandi involves creating airtight alibis, including ones provided by his lover, Jane. After carrying out a contract killing on Martey, a nightclub owner, Jef is very clearly seen leaving the scene by the club's piano player, Valérie, and glimpsed by several other witnesses. The police bring Jef and other suspects in for a lineup, but the witnesses, including Valerie, fail to positively identify him.
Jef is released, but the commissaire suspects him and has him followed. Jef loses the tail and goes to collect his fee for the hit. Instead of paying him, the man he meets tries to kill him, shooting him in the arm. Jef realizes his unknown employers now view him as a liability because he is suspected in Martey's murder. After treating his wound, Jef returns to the nightclub. While he is out, two police officersbug his room, agitating the bird in its cage.
After the nightclub closes, Jef has Valérie take him to her home, reasoning that she did not identify him as the killer because his employer had told her not to. He asks her who hired him, and she tells him to call her in two hours. Meanwhile, the police search Jane's apartment and offer to leave her alone if she recants her alibi for Jef. She flatly rejects the offer.
Back at his apartment, Jef notices some loose feathers scattered around his bird's cage and suspects it was agitated by an intrusion. He finds the police bug and deactivates it, and then goes to a public phone to call Valérie, but she does not answer. When he returns home, he is ambushed by the man who shot him. Holding Jef at gunpoint, the man offers a fresh start. He pays Jef for the hit on Martey, as well as for an upcoming one. Jef overpowers the man and forces him to disclose the identity of his boss: Olivier Rey.
Dozens of undercover police attempt to tail Jef in the Paris Métro, but he evades them. He visits Jane and assures her everything will work out, then drives to Rey's house, which is the same home Valérie took him to earlier in the film, though she is not there. Jef kills Rey and returns to the nightclub, this time making no attempt to avoid being seen. He checks his hat, but leaves his hat-check ticket on the counter, and puts on white gloves, which he wears when carrying out his hits, in full view of everyone. He approaches the stage where Valérie is performing. She quietly advises him to leave, but he points his gun at her. Strangely unafraid, she asks him why he is doing this, and he responds he was paid to do so. Suddenly, Jef is shot four times by policemen who had been waiting for him. When the Commissaire inspects Jef's gun, however, he discovers it was not loaded.
Melville wrote the film for Delon.[20] It was the first film for Delon's wife, Nathalie. He filed for divorce after the film wrapped, but they terminated the divorce proceedings a few days later, though they separated in June 1968 and their divorce became official in February 1969, with Nathalie being granted custody of their son, Anthony.[21]François Périer, who played the Commissaire, was a comedian cast against type.
Studios Jenner, Melville's private film studio, was destroyed by a fire on June 29, 1967, whileLe Samouraï was in production. Melville, who termed the blaze "suspicious", finished the shoot at another studio.[22]
In an interview with Rui Nogueira, Melville said he originally filmed Jef Costello meeting his death with a picture-perfect grin, but he modified the scene after discovering Delon had a smiling death scene in another of his films. Production stills of the smiling death exist.
Le Samouraï was released in France on 25 October 1967. It sold over 1.9 million tickets in France, and over 797,011 tickets in Spain.[8] First released in theaters in the United States in 1972, it grossed $39,481 from a 1997 re-release.[5]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 92% approval rating based on 51 reviews, and an average score of 8.7/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Le Samouraï makes the most of its spare aesthetic, using stylish – and influential – direction, solid performances, and thick atmosphere to weave an absorbing story."[23]
A 1967 review inVariety called the film "a curious hybrid" that "appears a bit too solemn to inject all the suspense, action and characterization [Melville] seeks", and said it "almost seems to be an American film dubbed into French" and "could be cut a bit".[24]
Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times called the original film "immaculate", but criticized the dubbing of the 1972 version released in the U.S. asThe Godson as "disorienting" and "dreadful".[25]
In a 1997 review of the film that later appeared in his firstThe Great Movies collection of essays, Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, writing: "Like a painter or a musician, a filmmaker can suggest complete mastery with just a few strokes. Jean-Pierre Melville involves us in the spell ofLe Samourai (1967) before a word is spoken. He does it with light: a cold light, like dawn on an ugly day. And color: grays and blues. And actions that speak in place of words."[26]
In 2010, the film was ranked No. 39 onEmpire's list of "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema".[27]
Writing inLe Figaro of the Delons' performances after Nathalie's death in 2021, Bertrand Guyard noted that the husband and wife are both nearly silent in the film, but "their gazes, fraught with meaning, are enough to make the camera quiver", and the director was able to create from their portrayals "a mythical couple of the seventh art."[28]
Stephen Teo callsLe Samouraï "possibly the most influential French crime thriller ever made, a mixture of a police procedural (le film policier) and a suspenseful action thriller concentrated on a professional hit man, Jef (spelled with one "f") Costello, played by Alain Delon, giving the definitive performance of his career".[29]
The film has influenced numerous other works and directors:
The German filmLiebe ist kälter als der Tod pays tribute to French cinema masters such asClaude Chabrol andÉric Rohmer. Furthermore, the directing style is inspired by Melville'sLe Samouraï, while the artwork on the poster resembles the silhouette of Alain Delon inLe Samouraï.[30] The character Bruno (Ulli Lommel) is also inspired by the character portrayed by Delon.[31]
Luc Besson drew inspiration from Jef Costello (played by Delon inLe Samouraï) to create Léon, the titular character embodied by Jean Reno inLéon: The Professional.[35][36]
Richard Ayoade citesThe Samurai as a major inspiration for his films. InSubmarine,Oliver Tate's character wears the same costume as Delon inThe Samurai and displays a poster of the film in his room, out of admiration for the character he plays.[37][38] Some scenes in the film are directly inspired by the French classic.[39]
Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza, inSalvo, sought to recreate the aura of French film noir.[40] Their choice ofSaleh Bakri to play Salvo, a Sicilian hitman, stemmed from this vision: “We wanted a strong physical presence that would dominate the screen with charisma, thinking of Jean-Pierre Melville, French film noir, and actors like Alain Delon.”[41][42]
The overall atmosphere, character development, and narrative style of the American filmThe French Connection are largely influenced byLe Samouraï (1967) by Jean-Pierre Melville.William Friedkin also drew inspiration from the character played by Alain Delon—a solitary and methodical hitman—to shape the character ofPopeye Doyle (Gene Hackman).[43] Moreover, the subway chase scene inThe French Connection is directly inspired byBullitt andLe Samouraï.[44]
WhileFrancis Ford Coppola’sThe Conversation is rooted in the paranoia and technological anxieties of the 1970s, its lead character, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), shares striking similarities with Jef Costello (Alain Delon), the taciturn hitman ofLe Samouraï.[45][46][47] Like Costello, Harry Caul is a man of meticulous habits, defined more by his actions than his words. Their lives are austere, defined by routine and isolation.
Through his portrayal of Jef Costello, Alain Delon established the archetype of the "silent and stoic antihero."Ryan O'Neal's character inThe Driver is almost entirely based on Jef Costello.[48][49]The Driver is also considered an unofficial adaptation ofLe Samouraï.[50]
Scorsese also noted that Jef Costello, played by Delon inLe Samouraï, served as an inspiration for the creation ofTravis Bickle, the protagonist ofTaxi Driver (a role that was offered to Alain Delon).[51][52]
Le Samouraï is one ofQuentin Tarantino’s favorite films.[53][54][55][56] The French classic influenced his creation of the world ofReservoir Dogs andPulp Fiction. In this regard, the costume design forReservoir Dogs andPulp Fiction stemmed from a discussion between Tarantino and costume designerBetsy Heimann about French noir films featuring Alain Delon.[57][58][55][56]
Michael Mann, forHeat (just like forCollateral), creates the character of Neil McCauley, played byRobert De Niro, drawing inspiration from the minimalist and detached style of Delon inLe Samouraï.[59] The line "I am alone, not lonely" from McCauley (De Niro inHeat) directly echoes the one from Jeff Costello (Delon inLe Samouraï) : "I never lose, never really".[60]
Ronin’s narrative structure owes a debt toLe Samouraï.[61][62][63] WhileRonin revolves around a heist, its heart lies in the psychological and moral dilemmas of its protagonist. Sam (Robert De Niro), like Jef, operates in a world of deception and shifting allegiances, where trust is scarce and survival depends on foresight and adaptability.[14]
InGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai byJim Jarmusch, film’s ending openly pays homage toLe Samouraï, as both Alain Delon and Ghost Dog carry an unloaded firearm in a scenario where they are fully aware of their impending fate.[64][65]Forest Whitaker also drew inspiration from Delon’s role as Jef Costello inLe Samouraï for his performance : “As part of my preparation, I watched this masterpiece with Alain Delon. Thanks to him, I understood the virtue of silence.”[66][67][68]
To prepare for his role as Vincent inCollateral,Tom Cruise stated that he “first watched several films about professional killers, including Le Samouraï by Jean-Pierre Melville with Alain Delon. I was [Tom Cruise]deeply fascinated by his solitary and melancholic charisma in carrying out his ruthless business.”[69] Cruise’s appearance and demeanor in the film strongly recall Jef Costello fromLe Samouraï.[70]
In developingThe Equalizer film franchise, directorAntoine Fuqua acknowledged that Delon influenced the character of Robert McCall, a solitary man with strong moral motivations who acts as a vigilante for those unable to defend themselves. Played byDenzel Washington, Fuqua explained: “My biggest inspirations were foreign films from the 1970s, really […]. And of course, all those Alain Delon films, particularly the French ones, like Le Samouraï (1967), with that kind of slow rhythm and character development as the story unfolds. That’s the kind of film that inspires me.”[77]
Chad Stahelski, the director behind theJohn Wick franchise, is also a great admirer of Alain Delon and Jean-Pierre Melville.[78][79][80] Stahelski drew inspiration fromLe Cercle Rouge andLe Samouraï when craftingJohn Wick : "The John Wick films are all love letters from Keanu, myself, our stunt team and our creative team to everyone from Wong Kar-wai to Sammo Hung to Sergio Leone, Kurosawa, Alain Delon and "The Samurai", Spielberg, Tarantino... To all those people we loved growing up."[79]
Chow Yun-Fat, inJohn Woo’sThe Killer, does not merely reprise Alain Delon’s role inLe Samouraï; he embodies a character who dreams of being Alain Delon.
Tony Leung, in his role as the undercover inspector inHard Boiled, adopts characteristics reminiscent of Delon’sLe Samouraï.[87] His character is even named after Alain Delon—he is called Alan.[88]
Johnnie To’s films frequently pay homage to Melville’s work, withFulltime Killer andVengeance serving as notable examples.[89][90] Although Delon ultimately declined the lead role inVengeance, To retained the character Francis Costello—his name a direct reference to Jeff Costello fromLe Samouraï.
The protagonist ofA Bittersweet Life, named "Jeff" after Costello, is a direct descendant of Jeff Costello, sharing the same traits as the betrayed, solitary assassin.[91][92][93]
South Korean actorJung Woo Sung also drew inspiration from Alain Delon’s performance inLe Samouraï for his first criminal role inCold Eyes.[96]
Adilkhan Yerzhanov's 2020 filmYellow Cat features a protagonist who quotes and performs scenes fromLe Samouraï throughout the film as a major character trait.[97][98][99][92]
Madonna's 2012 song "Beautiful Killer" is an homage to Alain Delon and alludes to his role inLe 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."[100]
Palmer, Tim. 2006.Le Samouraï In Phil Powrie (ed.),The Cinema of France. London: Wallflower Press.ISBN1-904764-47-9 (hardbound),ISBN1-904764-46-0 (paperbound)
Vincendeau, Ginette. 2003.Jean-Pierre Melville : 'an American in Paris'. London: British Film Institute.ISBN0-85170-950-8 (hardbound),ISBN0-85170-949-4 (paperback)
