Le Samouraï

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Le Samouraï

PG

1972

1h 32m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Hit man Jef Costello (Alain Delon) goes through an elaborate set of rituals before carrying out a hit on a nightclub owner. Always thorough and cool in his job, Costello is disconcerted to discover a witness to the killing, the club's female piano player. But before he can act, the police arrest him in a sweep of suspects. Released when the main witness does not come forward, Costello goes from being the hunter to the hunted, trailed by the determined police as well as his crime bosses.

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Critics Consensus

Le Samouraï makes the most of its spare aesthetic, using stylish -- and influential -- direction, solid performances, and thick atmosphere to weave an absorbing story.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

[Le Samouraï], with Delon doing what he does best (looking impassive and slightly tarnished), is a lovely introduction to the work of a most idiosyncratic filmmaker.

Mar 18, 2025

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Jan Dawson

Sight & Sound

The interweaving of ritualised Japanese and American themes, the formalised colour and camerawork that create a world at once fantastic, allusive and coherent, mark out Le Samouraï as both a Melville film and the Melville film to date.

Mar 18, 2025

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Geoffrey Minish

Toronto Star

Everything is in harmony: acting, photography, editing. As an example of classic directorial technique, Le Samouraï should be required viewing for any film training school.

Mar 18, 2025

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Bernard Drew

Gannett News Service

What a gifted French director can with the sordid material is something else.

Mar 18, 2025

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Andrew Gale

Sacramento Bee

The film is totally fluid, totally legato. Rain on a car window, reflections of images in a glass doorway, the hardly changing visage of Delon, all serve to reinforce the impression of stillness and, more particularly, of lucidity and clearness of line.

Mar 18, 2025

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Pat Padua

Washington City Paper

A samurai-like twist on the typical contract killer. The film, of course, also serves a generous dash of 1960s alienation...

Sep 24, 2024

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Thomas S

Super sleek and stylish. I love Delon’s character — the lone wolf with no moral compass, yet willing to go to any length for revenge. The film is all about style and atmosphere rather than action.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/12/25

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Kevin L

This was one of the least exciting, interesting, or convincing assassin movies I've seen. And Delon's portrayal of said assassin is likely the least convincing or interesting I've ever seen. Between the bungling of the killing, the poorly choreographed 'fight' scenes, and the inauthentic acting in general (or is it supposed to appear that way? A French New Wave thing?), all that was left of any value for me to appreciate was the story line. That held up reasonably well, but then that fell apart, too. I know what we're supposed to take from the ending, but I have to call bull on that. To think this guy who was so utterly indifferent to murdering ppl for the money would so quickly change to the one who couldn't go through with his last contract, as if he'd turned some philosophical leaf into a secular humanist or the like, I can't buy. But mostly I was bored in general. Delon's Costello is too wooden while trying to be so Joe Cool. The female characters were also so aloof and disaffected. Even the bird was annoying. And were we supposed to think that the bird tipped him off about the bug? 2.3 stars

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 32 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Canadian French and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

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Will G

A great French new wave film. The acting was good too. It was about an assassin and the police trying to arrest him. It reminded me of a noir movie. The movie was very stylized. It was nice to see Paris.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

Full Review

acsdoug D

I'm going against the consensus I know, but I found this one a bit dull. It's mostly Alain Delon walking around trying to look tough, but he just looks wooden.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/25

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Alexsander F

Filme com ótimo plot no final, bom roteiro, e sem erros do começo ao fim.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/25

Full Review

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Jean-Pierre Melville

Director

Alain Delon

Jef Costello

Nathalie Delon

Jane Lagrange

François Perier

The Superintendant

Cathy Rosier

Valérie, la pianiste (as Caty Rosier)

Jacques Leroy

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Synopsis

Hit man Jef Costello (Alain Delon) goes through an elaborate set of rituals before carrying out a hit on a nightclub owner. Always thorough and cool in his job, Costello is disconcerted to discover a witness to the killing, the club's female piano player. But before he can act, the police arrest him in a sweep of suspects. Released when the main witness does not come forward, Costello goes from being the hunter to the hunted, trailed by the determined police as well as his crime bosses.

Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Producer: Raymond Borderie
Screenwriter: Joan McLeod, Jean-Pierre Melville, Roland Pellegrino, Yolande Maurette
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Fida Cinematografica, Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique
Rating: PG
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 14, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $216.3K
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Mono

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