Le Samouraï

The writing in this is so achingly dumb oh my god. The so called "sharp and professional killer"walks into the casino at peak hour full of customers and security, wearing brightly colored clothes.
Then he talks to the guy he's about to kill giving him the opportunity to react.He-

godfather of your favorite "literally me" character.

7.6

"There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai, unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle… perhaps."

A stylistic standout of the 1960s, a tense Neo-Noir thriller while deemed a slow-burner, I disagree. Le Samouraï is a must watch assassin flick, it’s visually stunning especially for its time, it’s the blueprint of one of the biggest archetypes in media, and to top it all off, the film is so spectacular people such as Finch and Tarantino take direct inspiration and pay homage to such a classic.

1st Act 9.1/10 (Slightly slow, but the second it picks up, it will not put you down.)

2nd Act 9.6/10 (This motherfucker was moving like The Doctor.)

3rd Act 10/10 (Oh the meaning, the depth, the execution, it’s beautiful I tell you, oh so beautiful.)

Plot 9.8/10 (A genius came up with this idea, and a genius executed it like one would, I refuse to believe they are even close to the same person.)

Soundtrack/Score 9.3/10 (Very little, but absolutely delivers.)

Acting 10/10 (Career-defining performances, it’s one thing to be in your prime, it’s another to be beyond your fucking prime.)

Pacing 9.5/10 (Show don’t tell really helps, despite the minimalistic dialogue it still packs a helluva punch.)

Cinematography 9.6/10 (Blue street lights of Paris, and some absolute gems of framed shots.)

Character Development 9.3/10 (NOOO MY GOAT NOOOO.)

Writing 9.3/10 (Confusing at times, yet masterfully delivers.)

Ending 9.7/10 (The phrase “Absolute Cinema” comes to mind.)

Direction 9.4/10 (I see some mad potential, hopefully it gets better the more I watch Melville.)

Overall
114.6/120
Le Samouraï has earned itself a low 9.5/10, cannot recommend enough.

8.2/10
Does not feel like a noir film that I am used to probably due to the color grading being a little bit lighter, but this is very entertaining and you can very clearly see the influences of this film on many others in the genre such as ghost dog - really intense story with strong writing that makes it feel like an American noir dubbed into french