08-17-2020, 06:33 PM
“There is no greater solitude than that of a samurai, unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle."
Thus opens this highly influential film noire crime film. And has anyone ever looked as suave and ruthless in trenchcoat and hat as Alaine Delon?
The opening quote, though attributed to Bushido, is in fact made up. But what else would you expect from Melville? Always telling whale stories. And don't try to tell me this is a different Melville. It's high time we start merging artists so we have fewer to remember. In turn, it will enrich their ouvres.
Delon plays a hitman of meticulous precision. He overthinks everything, and I mean everything. Only the real world is always throwing little glitches at him; and then there's Scotland Yard to deal with. Don't bother telling me that France doesn't have a Scotland Yard; if Melville can make up zen quotes, fuck him and the whale he rode in on, I'll doctor his film as I see fit.
So, yeah, a relentless and very clever Scotland Yard that's determined to pin a recent murder on him, a worthy challenge for him.
There's no swordfights in this. There's not even swords. There is a harpoon, and a major harpoon scene, a must-see, really, though it requires a whole lot of squinting and a strong imagination. To be honest, Delon just plays a killer who's very meticulous, and who seldom talks. The movie really boils down to a game of squid and whale, with Delon and the police force trying to out-think each other.
So, yeah, Tarantino lauds this film as a big influence, as does Johnny To, John Woo, and many many others.
BTW, some sites wrongly give the title as Le Samouraï, with those two little dots over the i. That's how it appeared on the movie poster, with the two dots representing bullet holes. So that's the reason for that typo you sometimes see. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. Like I said before, fuck that blowhole Melville and his vehicular whale.
Thus opens this highly influential film noire crime film. And has anyone ever looked as suave and ruthless in trenchcoat and hat as Alaine Delon?
The opening quote, though attributed to Bushido, is in fact made up. But what else would you expect from Melville? Always telling whale stories. And don't try to tell me this is a different Melville. It's high time we start merging artists so we have fewer to remember. In turn, it will enrich their ouvres.
Delon plays a hitman of meticulous precision. He overthinks everything, and I mean everything. Only the real world is always throwing little glitches at him; and then there's Scotland Yard to deal with. Don't bother telling me that France doesn't have a Scotland Yard; if Melville can make up zen quotes, fuck him and the whale he rode in on, I'll doctor his film as I see fit.
So, yeah, a relentless and very clever Scotland Yard that's determined to pin a recent murder on him, a worthy challenge for him.
There's no swordfights in this. There's not even swords. There is a harpoon, and a major harpoon scene, a must-see, really, though it requires a whole lot of squinting and a strong imagination. To be honest, Delon just plays a killer who's very meticulous, and who seldom talks. The movie really boils down to a game of squid and whale, with Delon and the police force trying to out-think each other.
So, yeah, Tarantino lauds this film as a big influence, as does Johnny To, John Woo, and many many others.
BTW, some sites wrongly give the title as Le Samouraï, with those two little dots over the i. That's how it appeared on the movie poster, with the two dots representing bullet holes. So that's the reason for that typo you sometimes see. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. Like I said before, fuck that blowhole Melville and his vehicular whale.
I'm nobody's pony.
