I think the ending is about being loyal to your code. He needs to get the job done but refuses to shoot a woman who saved him, therefore conflict is being resolved in letting yourself being killed, so the only way is choosing a suicide like a samurai but not in the cowardice way.
I agree entirely, with one small difference: I am not sure it is because she is a woman, my interpretation was that he felt indebted to her because she had saved him from identification during the initial lineup. I believe he murdered the gangster to protect her, he may have even loved her as some claim, but ultimately the prime motivation is loyalty to code, as you stated.
But he already killed the man employing the contract, he did not have to do the job because he killed his employer right before this incident. The conflict could've been resolved by him just staying under the radar or moving to somewhere else (like the main character in Bresson's pickpocket). He did not need to confront the woman. This is what confuses me about the movie.
Just watched this movie for the first time about a week ago and loved it. What I appreciate most about it is the minimalism of the dialogue. In contrast with a lot of French New Wave films, this film is almost like a silent movie, a feeling underscored by any subtitles necessary for English language folks like me. Yet we always get the information we need, be it visually or through what is spoken. It fits Hitchcock's definition of a perfect film: cut the sound and you can still follow the plot through the images.
I thought exactly that when I watched Le Cercle Rouge for the first time the other day- the way that film utilises silence is mind blowing, it almost desensitises you to sound- it makes the sparse and intense soundtrack so much more effective. Both are masterpieces of film making
if you like these minimalist films, check out Robert Bresson's works. He is famously minimalist in his directing, and his characters are often also like Jef, indifferent, cold and unflinching
You are right , the movies of Jean Pierre Melville were "filled" with silence L'ike in the "Red circle" (with AlainDelon, Yves Montand) or the "Doulos" with the great Jean Paul Belmondo. And, a realistic vision of Paris..
this great film has inspired sooo many others, from taxi driver, to walter hill's the driver, mann's thief, john woo's the killer, jarmusch's ghost dog. a remarkable classic and timeless masterpiece
I accidentally came upon this film earlier this year and was absolutely memsmorized. It reintroduced me to Alan Delon, an incredibly unforgettable actor. He doesn't need to say a word, and you are hooked. I cannot think of any actors today that have the ability to to that. What a treasure!
Two years later....... I've just watch "Plein Soleil" and "Le Cercle Rouge", both starring Alain Delon. I'd heard about him for decades, but only started watching his films recently. Wow, what an actor! They really don't make them like that anymore.
@@toomuchinformationil gattopardo, melodie en sous sol, les felines with Jane Fonda, Christine with Rommy, once a thief always a thief, Rocco abd his brothers. Great you discovered Alain Delon, he is truly one of his kind and there will not be another.
Vicente Ortega Rubilar so I guess Drive is the smart, quiet kid who does everything properly and precisely, while Baby Driver is the stylish and eccentric kid who often defy rules? Haha
This film plays out in such a straightforward way with little left to interpretation until its final moments. It mirrors the world of its protagonist so that even though you're watching him you are almost seeing it through his eyes. Very well shot too. The scene of him entering and exiting the nightclub are quite pretty to look at.
The film works like a clockwork - everything in it seem so measured, counted and balanced! Also deserving a mention is Francois Perier: he doesn't "play" the police commisioner, he IS a police commisioner - putting every similar performance on shame!
I just saw the movie..love it Jef follows Bushido..Honor,Loyalty, sincerity to task ..and in the end seppuku because he couldn't kill Valerie out of gratitude..honorable death
I was struggling to pick a film to watch last night, and messaged my brother (both he and I are kinda cinephiles), and he and my brother-in-law insisted that I watch that. Within the first minutes I was absolutely gripped. Ordered the Criterion version immediately aha. A truly stunning film!
I recently watched this, and I loved it. During the opening shot, I was thinking, "Let's go. Please be good. I really want to like this." Felt like the opening shot made me wait so long. But once it began, it gripped me the whole way through. Looking back, I see that the opening shot is there to contrast with the relentless momentum towards Jef's fate- "Le destin de Costello" as the soundtrack puts it. That opening shot was his last moment of peace.
i saw it just yesterday (without prior knowledge of how great it was) and i loved it. it was surprising how much this movie expressed with such little dialogue. the steel-like precision of jeff along with his expressionless face at first seemed phony or cliche (even though i realized that im watching this in 2020 so my idea of cliche might not be a thing back then) but as things went on, his stature made remarkable sense. i thought this is what must happen when someone does what he does for too long. i admired his resilience even though it never seemed he enjoyed anything that life offered. and at the end, his final meeting with jane where he almost shows longing... to me that slither of an emotion is what paints his character even better. the visual was so deliberate. i loved how everyone in the film was so aware of their bleak surroundings that you felt compelled to be as well. and great review, by the way!!
You Can also watch another popular movie of Jean Pierre Melville : "The Doulos" with the great french actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (lifelong Friend of A.Delon)
Le Samouraï is an amazing piece of art and camerawork combined with stunning visuals of Paris and costume designs packed with an engaging storyline. Its so good 💯
Un film dealing with the immense value of silences. A masterpiece. In this sense it makes me associate it with "In the mood for love". Another masterpiece not to be missed and also totally dealing with precious silences. My two favourite films together with "A Plein Soleil" and "The third man".
The Killer by John Woo, Ghost Dog: The way of the Samurai, Taxi driver, Drive (2011) to name just a few movies who have been influenced by this masterpiece.
I WAS 18 YEARS OLD IN 1969 I SAW THIS MOVIE I WAS REALY LIKED.SPEACIALY I LOVE BEATUFULL NATALIE DELON.I JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY SHE PASSED-WAY. REST IN PEACE NATALIE.
I worked as a background actor on the set of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim and i used to walk around the set just praising Le Samourai and recommending it to people. I even chatted with Guillermo del Toro and lamented on how its so hard to find a trenchcoat like the one worn by Alain Delon. Then the following week, I come to the set at Pinewood and the first thing i see is an older Chinese gentleman dressed up exactly like Jef Costello. 😂
I loved this film it’s a film that I watch and rewatch without getting bored. Everything about it deserves paying great attention. I rewatch it to understand a new thing everyday. I finally understood why he had an unloaded gun thank you!
Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Lino Ventura and finally Yves Montand were great in the Melville movies! Samouraï, Le Doulos, the red circle , the army of shadows..
I was just able to watch it on the big screen at the Plaza Theatre as part of the Atlanta Film Festival - it's a wonderful film. Thanks for the review!
Hola. Había leido en muchos libros de cine sobre esta película y finalmente hace unos pocos días atrás pude verla. Me impresionó y fascinó. Era mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Realmente un cine de otro nivel, con una gran fotografía y encuadres muy poéticos... Sólo que no pude seguirla con tanta atención; es tonto pero cada vez que salía el protagonista yo no podía dejar de decirme lo increiblemente hermoso que era. Eso me distrajo un poco de la trama. Vale, sabía que Alain Delon había sido guapo, pero nunca imaginé que tanto y que además pudiera gustarme, pues tengo prejuicios contra los franceses. Tendré qe verla otra vez.
The final scene's significance is lost on the narrator: In life freedom equates with calling your own shots, all else is delusion. 'Costello' is perfectly aware of the world around him, he merely engages with it on his own terms or embraces death. There can be no in-between.."I never lose, not ever." The 'Seductress' is the feminine archetype mirroring the 'Warrior'.. The Warrior's code, unlike everyday ppl, is unvarying. Between Jef and the Nightclub singer the same unvarying code exists. Though he knows the detail to kill her is a set up, he accepts his fate in order to place a marker. Bravura being the inward flourish outwardly expressed as gesture..it is the Warrior's nom de plume..
Thank you so much for making a video essay on Le Samouraï! It's one of my favourite noir films--my absolute favourite being 1942's This Gun for Hire. Do you have any plans for covering This Gun for Hire in a future video?
Katy133 If you've watched L.A. Confidential, you've seen a clip of This Gun For Hire, playing in the background at Kim Basinger's house. Watching the former inspired me to seek out the latter...still a fave.
The more i look at this movie, the more I realize that Melville didn't have any super clear vision while doing it, or maybe he cared about the mood more. Did you know that according to interview with Melville Jeff was (sic) a schizophrenic? - not sure what that was supposed to mean, and how that was communicated in the movie, but oh well. Great movie , Really great video! You got a new sub, also, Its funny how i used the same shots for a video about this movie, as you did haha.
I’m confused as to how he shifted the blame from Jane to the singer. Now the police know Jef was the killer, they know for sure Jane was lying and can have her done for perjury?
A critic once wrote that Melville (an antifascist Partisan himself) used to picture gangsters as Partisans and Partisans as gangsters: living among shadows until they became shadows themselves, trusting no one, forfetting their own names... seems quite legit.
I don't think the ending meant Jef was trying to "change the blame" on Valerie. Melville says "Jef falls in love with his death," meaning the pianist, "a black Death in white." I don't understand the ending entirely but Valerie is really the catalyst, not Jane. It is such an amazing film though!
Digital Massive Entertainment But how is the Pianist cleared of suspicion if the gun was empty? That means he wasn’t trying to kill her after all. How do the police process this?
Digital Massive Entertainment Yeah so what I’m trying to say is that his “assassination attempt” on her doesn’t really change anything. He could’ve just killed himself and the police would stop bothering her anyway. There really is no point for the gun to be unloaded other than to show the audience his intentions. If he really wanted to stage a fake assassination attempt he would’ve kept the bullets in. The point wasn’t to clear the pianist of anything. She was never even harassed in the first place
i didnt understand the ending, did he go in with the intention of dying so Jane would be protected? How does the unloaded gun shift the blame from Jane to the pianist?
@@trimounixavier9148 he wasnt lonely though, he had a mistress. I figured it out though, he kills himself so they stop harassing the prozy and the unloaded gun was to show that he cared for the pianist and he didnt want her to actually die.
Good question. Being a warrior means being author of your own fate. Jef knew he was set up. Honour dictates he adhere to his own patterns and find a way to wrest an outcome of his choosing given the circumstances. He thus chooses the time, place and manner of his death. It is the Nightclub singer who understands this code, which is why she continues in her pattern cognizant of her would be assassin's pattern. She too is prepared to accept a fate she has created. There is no greater triumph than when an adversary's limitations are exposed. Life after all, is but an interlude in an eternal dream.
Great video, although I would not say Jef Costello takes pride in his actions. One could argue he is determined to act upon the duty he was assigned and thus only completes a singular fulfilling mission. I suppose this movie is as much about the aspect of solitude as it is about the irrationality of love.
which Alain Delon films would you talk about next? Borsalino? Borsalino & Co? La Pisicine? i really wish there was a high brown film essay in english about La Piscine
I never got the ending of this movie. The guy could've just gone under the radar or went away to another city for a while (kinda like Michel in Bresson's Pickpocket, who moves from city to city to avoid getting caught). He never had to sacrifice himself, he already killed the guy who gave him the contract to kill the pianist, so there is no threat to the pianist anymore.
I don't think the contract was for the jazz pianist tho. After Costello kills his employer, he looks down and sees it's the same apartment she lives in. Meaning they were probably married or lovers. The real hit was probably for the bartender, but he lied the pianist to set her up or make her believe her husband/lover wanted her dead. My take away atleast.
This film is almost impossible to get in the UK. You can get most of Melville's films but no company has released this in a region 2 format. it's so frustrating.
Yeah a formalist masterpiece hated by the critics because there is zero illusion of freedom. It's all about the preparation for the moment of Zen death. Melville in his great trilogy with Delon Le Samourai Circle Rouge Un Flic works through the patterning of misogyny suicide betrayal nihilism with more than a touch of his Gestapo Resistance experiences but right there in the middle of the swinging 60s it's cold perfection theorom of the anti life hated by especially the left critics snubbed by the rest of the new wave. Influence? Nothing produced since comes any near it as a statement about human futility. Lot of wannabees but only imitations and thefts of the inferior Yanks which are cringe making. Like he said he was making Japanese films not American Noir. The blend of French introversion and Zen was a natural fusion.
I think the ending is about being loyal to your code. He needs to get the job done but refuses to shoot a woman who saved him, therefore conflict is being resolved in letting yourself being killed, so the only way is choosing a suicide like a samurai but not in the cowardice way.
Thanks dude, that actually explains some of the questions I had!
I agree entirely, with one small difference: I am not sure it is because she is a woman, my interpretation was that he felt indebted to her because she had saved him from identification during the initial lineup. I believe he murdered the gangster to protect her, he may have even loved her as some claim, but ultimately the prime motivation is loyalty to code, as you stated.
@@cameronmcallister9297 Hi that will be that then without a shadow of a doubt, you are right. I need a rewatch this masterpiece.
But he already killed the man employing the contract, he did not have to do the job because he killed his employer right before this incident. The conflict could've been resolved by him just staying under the radar or moving to somewhere else (like the main character in Bresson's pickpocket). He did not need to confront the woman. This is what confuses me about the movie.
@@Daboi. I need a re-
watch, but the guy was living on a death wish for sure
"The melvilian hero is a man from another time who accomplishes his fate in a world he has already left"
Excellent short sentence for such a great movie! I am french, sorry for my english...
Good insight.
looks rule dominant
Just watched this movie for the first time about a week ago and loved it. What I appreciate most about it is the minimalism of the dialogue. In contrast with a lot of French New Wave films, this film is almost like a silent movie, a feeling underscored by any subtitles necessary for English language folks like me. Yet we always get the information we need, be it visually or through what is spoken. It fits Hitchcock's definition of a perfect film: cut the sound and you can still follow the plot through the images.
I thought exactly that when I watched Le Cercle Rouge for the first time the other day- the way that film utilises silence is mind blowing, it almost desensitises you to sound- it makes the sparse and intense soundtrack so much more effective. Both are masterpieces of film making
if you like these minimalist films, check out Robert Bresson's works. He is famously minimalist in his directing, and his characters are often also like Jef, indifferent, cold and unflinching
You are right , the movies of Jean Pierre Melville were "filled" with silence
L'ike in the "Red circle" (with AlainDelon, Yves Montand) or the "Doulos" with the great Jean Paul Belmondo. And, a realistic vision of Paris..
He is SO HANDSOME.
this great film has inspired sooo many others, from taxi driver, to walter hill's the driver, mann's thief, john woo's the killer, jarmusch's ghost dog. a remarkable classic and timeless masterpiece
And Drive!!!
I accidentally came upon this film earlier this year and was absolutely memsmorized. It reintroduced me to Alan Delon, an incredibly unforgettable actor. He doesn't need to say a word, and you are hooked. I cannot think of any actors today that have the ability to to that. What a treasure!
Two years later....... I've just watch "Plein Soleil" and "Le Cercle Rouge", both starring Alain Delon.
I'd heard about him for decades, but only started watching his films recently. Wow, what an actor! They really don't make them like that anymore.
@@toomuchinformationil gattopardo, melodie en sous sol, les felines with Jane Fonda, Christine with Rommy, once a thief always a thief, Rocco abd his brothers. Great you discovered Alain Delon, he is truly one of his kind and there will not be another.
The dad of The Driver and grandpa of Drive and Baby Driver.
Great video.
Vicente Ortega Rubilar so I guess Drive is the smart, quiet kid who does everything properly and precisely, while Baby Driver is the stylish and eccentric kid who often defy rules? Haha
Thank you!
Vicente Ortega Rubilar also Thief (1981)!
More like the dad of Ghost Dog
And the French cousin of every Humphrey Bogart film you've ever seen.
Brilliant movie! Delon’s acting is fantastic and the story is amazing.
Le Samouraï was a critical influence on Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog, an all-time favorite of mine.
This film plays out in such a straightforward way with little left to interpretation until its final moments. It mirrors the world of its protagonist so that even though you're watching him you are almost seeing it through his eyes. Very well shot too. The scene of him entering and exiting the nightclub are quite pretty to look at.
The film works like a clockwork - everything in it seem so measured, counted and balanced!
Also deserving a mention is Francois Perier: he doesn't "play" the police commisioner, he IS a police commisioner - putting every similar performance on shame!
I loved Samurai. What a film!! The photography was incredible!!! Allen Delon is a superstar, forever.
RIP
I just saw the movie..love it
Jef follows Bushido..Honor,Loyalty, sincerity to task ..and in the end seppuku because he couldn't kill Valerie out of gratitude..honorable death
Best film ever made in my view, and Delon's performance is one of the best in cinema history.
I was struggling to pick a film to watch last night, and messaged my brother (both he and I are kinda cinephiles), and he and my brother-in-law insisted that I watch that. Within the first minutes I was absolutely gripped. Ordered the Criterion version immediately aha.
A truly stunning film!
Such a brilliant performance from Alain Delon!!!
I recently watched this, and I loved it. During the opening shot, I was thinking, "Let's go. Please be good. I really want to like this." Felt like the opening shot made me wait so long. But once it began, it gripped me the whole way through. Looking back, I see that the opening shot is there to contrast with the relentless momentum towards Jef's fate- "Le destin de Costello" as the soundtrack puts it. That opening shot was his last moment of peace.
i saw it just yesterday (without prior knowledge of how great it was) and i loved it. it was surprising how much this movie expressed with such little dialogue. the steel-like precision of jeff along with his expressionless face at first seemed phony or cliche (even though i realized that im watching this in 2020 so my idea of cliche might not be a thing back then) but as things went on, his stature made remarkable sense. i thought this is what must happen when someone does what he does for too long. i admired his resilience even though it never seemed he enjoyed anything that life offered. and at the end, his final meeting with jane where he almost shows longing... to me that slither of an emotion is what paints his character even better. the visual was so deliberate. i loved how everyone in the film was so aware of their bleak surroundings that you felt compelled to be as well. and great review, by the way!!
You Can also watch another popular movie of Jean Pierre Melville :
"The Doulos" with the great french actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (lifelong Friend of A.Delon)
The surprise when I saw this thumbnail was gigantic. Great classic.
Definitely, it's one of my favorites!
Thanks for reviewing this. I love Melville. This, Le Cercle Rouge, and Bob Le Flambour are very influential to me.
He's up there with my favorites too!
+Jack's Movie Reviews you have a letterboxd?
Le Samouraï is an amazing piece of art and camerawork combined with stunning visuals of Paris and costume designs packed with an engaging storyline. Its so good 💯
Love this movie and Ghost Dog.
I think Jeff uses the "code" to survive the world that he does not understand ...
Un film dealing with the immense value of silences.
A masterpiece.
In this sense it makes me associate it with "In the mood for love". Another masterpiece not to be missed and also totally dealing with precious silences.
My two favourite films together with "A Plein Soleil" and "The third man".
The first time I saw this film, it changed me. I became obsessed with Jeff.
Alain Delon 🥰
The Killer by John Woo, Ghost Dog: The way of the Samurai, Taxi driver, Drive (2011) to name just a few movies who have been influenced by this masterpiece.
The actor Alain Delon passed away today he was 88 years old.
I WAS 18 YEARS OLD IN 1969 I SAW THIS MOVIE I WAS REALY LIKED.SPEACIALY I LOVE BEATUFULL NATALIE DELON.I JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY SHE PASSED-WAY. REST IN PEACE NATALIE.
Could you Suggest for my other movies? You seem like you know a lot about old movies.
Yes. Great to see you reviewing classics as well!
I'm always trying to spice up what I'm talking about!
I worked as a background actor on the set of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim and i used to walk around the set just praising Le Samourai and recommending it to people. I even chatted with Guillermo del Toro and lamented on how its so hard to find a trenchcoat like the one worn by Alain Delon. Then the following week, I come to the set at Pinewood and the first thing i see is an older Chinese gentleman dressed up exactly like Jef Costello. 😂
Great film. Loved it. In fact, I like a LOT of Melville's pics. But this IS his masterpiece. It also has a great look.
One of the greatest
I loved this film it’s a film that I watch and rewatch without getting bored. Everything about it deserves paying great attention. I rewatch it to understand a new thing everyday. I finally understood why he had an unloaded gun thank you!
Why? I did not understand that part
@@caryiuhas1258he wants to die with pride & honor. Like a real samouraï does.
my favorite film of all time ! simply amazing
One of my favorite films
You and me both!
un très bon film en effet. Voir aussi le cercle rouge
Pues vaya pisito cutre, para el pastón que le dan. Delon actorazo y muy guapo 😊😊
just had knee surgery, this was a treat, thank you.
Fast recoveries and thank you for watching!
BEST MOVIE EVER
Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Lino Ventura and finally Yves Montand were great in the Melville movies!
Samouraï, Le Doulos, the red circle , the army of shadows..
I was just able to watch it on the big screen at the Plaza Theatre as part of the Atlanta Film Festival - it's a wonderful film. Thanks for the review!
This movie was awesome! It's now got me wanting to watch more like it.
U should do a review on "plein soleil" starting Alain Delon too
omg thats my all time fav movie
Le Samouraï and Drive are amongst my favourite films of all time.
Great video. Your analysis made me appreciate a classic even more.
i like a gritty french noir, i'll have to hunt it down.
CallMeMrRook it’s on the criterion collection
Again, I am so grateful for your videos and insight.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed!
Hola. Había leido en muchos libros de cine sobre esta película y finalmente hace unos pocos días atrás pude verla. Me impresionó y fascinó. Era mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Realmente un cine de otro nivel, con una gran fotografía y encuadres muy poéticos... Sólo que no pude seguirla con tanta atención; es tonto pero cada vez que salía el protagonista yo no podía dejar de decirme lo increiblemente hermoso que era. Eso me distrajo un poco de la trama. Vale, sabía que Alain Delon había sido guapo, pero nunca imaginé que tanto y que además pudiera gustarme, pues tengo prejuicios contra los franceses. Tendré qe verla otra vez.
haha muy bien
I was amazed by the film. A film everybody needs to see.
Such an incredible film wow so amazing
looks nice
definitely will watch it.you dig some gems...
Watched this last night, amazed the hell out of me.
The final scene's significance is lost on the narrator: In life freedom equates with calling your own shots, all else is delusion. 'Costello' is perfectly aware of the world around him, he merely engages with it on his own terms or embraces death. There can be no in-between.."I never lose, not ever." The 'Seductress' is the feminine archetype mirroring the 'Warrior'..
The Warrior's code, unlike everyday ppl, is unvarying. Between Jef and the Nightclub singer the same unvarying code exists. Though he knows the detail to kill her is a set up, he accepts his fate in order to place a marker. Bravura being the inward flourish outwardly expressed as gesture..it is the Warrior's nom de plume..
Best film ever made
Great film
Thank you so much for making a video essay on Le Samouraï! It's one of my favourite noir films--my absolute favourite being 1942's This Gun for Hire. Do you have any plans for covering This Gun for Hire in a future video?
Bob Jones Then I highly recommend This Gun for Hire. How do you know Jack hasn't seen it? (Did he mention it in a livestream?)
Katy133 If you've watched L.A. Confidential, you've seen a clip of This Gun For Hire, playing in the background at Kim Basinger's house. Watching the former inspired me to seek out the latter...still a fave.
I don't know why but while watching "Le Samourai", i was constantly having flashbacks of Michael Mann's cinemas.
The more i look at this movie, the more I realize that Melville didn't have any super clear vision while doing it, or maybe he cared about the mood more.
Did you know that according to interview with Melville Jeff was (sic) a schizophrenic? - not sure what that was supposed to mean, and how that was communicated in the movie, but oh well.
Great movie , Really great video! You got a new sub,
also,
Its funny how i used the same shots for a video about this movie, as you did haha.
I’m confused as to how he shifted the blame from Jane to the singer. Now the police know Jef was the killer, they know for sure Jane was lying and can have her done for perjury?
Wow what a gray world. Can't wait to watch this!
even john woo took the story when he made the hong kong version: the killer.
Thanks for everything.
You hit the points exactly
THanks!!!
the Criterion blu ray looks incredible
You should also check the red circle (le circle rouge)
A critic once wrote that Melville (an antifascist Partisan himself) used to picture gangsters as Partisans and Partisans as gangsters: living among shadows until they became shadows themselves, trusting no one, forfetting their own names... seems quite legit.
Next film: Le Unbreakable
I see what you did there. xD
The French Anton Chigur
this guy kinda has a heart dont be that mean tara
Anton don't care about anyone, he's a cold blood murdering psycho. Jeff definetly had feelings for the piano player
She wasn’t a singer, she was a piano player.
Pianist.
I think this film may have been influenced by the early film noir This Gun For Hire starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.
I don't think the ending meant Jef was trying to "change the blame" on Valerie. Melville says "Jef falls in love with his death," meaning the pianist, "a black Death in white." I don't understand the ending entirely but Valerie is really the catalyst, not Jane. It is such an amazing film though!
Digital Massive Entertainment But how is the Pianist cleared of suspicion if the gun was empty? That means he wasn’t trying to kill her after all. How do the police process this?
Digital Massive Entertainment Yeah so what I’m trying to say is that his “assassination attempt” on her doesn’t really change anything. He could’ve just killed himself and the police would stop bothering her anyway. There really is no point for the gun to be unloaded other than to show the audience his intentions. If he really wanted to stage a fake assassination attempt he would’ve kept the bullets in. The point wasn’t to clear the pianist of anything. She was never even harassed in the first place
Digital Massive Entertainment Ok.
In my top 10 films
I think his mistake was doing the job too close to home.
Yoooo he's literally me.
Thanks Alex Turner for turning me onto this film
Отличное видео, спасибо!
только она не Джейн, а Жанна
i didnt understand the ending, did he go in with the intention of dying so Jane would be protected? How does the unloaded gun shift the blame from Jane to the pianist?
he wanted to stop his lonely life, no more kiling, he gives up, a kind of suicide.
@@trimounixavier9148 he wasnt lonely though, he had a mistress. I figured it out though, he kills himself so they stop harassing the prozy and the unloaded gun was to show that he cared for the pianist and he didnt want her to actually die.
@@powfoot4946 Ending like a samurai, sort of seppuku.
Good question. Being a warrior means being author of your own fate. Jef knew he was set up. Honour dictates he adhere to his own patterns and find a way to wrest an outcome of his choosing given the circumstances. He thus chooses the time, place and manner of his death. It is the Nightclub singer who understands this code, which is why she continues in her pattern cognizant of her would be assassin's pattern. She too is prepared to accept a fate she has created.
There is no greater triumph than when an adversary's limitations are exposed. Life after all, is but an interlude in an eternal dream.
Great video, although I would not say Jef Costello takes pride in his actions. One could argue he is determined to act upon the duty he was assigned and thus only completes a singular fulfilling mission. I suppose this movie is as much about the aspect of solitude as it is about the irrationality of love.
I know this is two years late, but could you please elaborate on the irrationality of love part?
Interesting view on the ending. I never realized that his gun was unloaded to shift the blame from Jane to the singer. This is a marvelous film.
Wow you really butchered his name. Alain Delon is pronounced like Ah-lahn Duh-lon
haha you so right ... American what else can I say... however good review
Plutôt : Uh'layn Duh'lawn. Il n'a sans doute pas pris le français comme première langue au collège. Ni comme deuxième langue...
which Alain Delon films would you talk about next?
Borsalino? Borsalino & Co? La Pisicine? i really wish there was a high brown film essay in english about La Piscine
Muy interesante tu video me alegro que tenga subtitulos en español
Jack have you noticed one element in lot of noirs, even in Le Samourai which is that a lot of key events in the film take place at night?
He's so me
You gotta read the samurai books to get the full effect 🤙
She's not a singer. She's a pianist.
He just like me 💯
I never got the ending of this movie.
The guy could've just gone under the radar or went away to another city for a while (kinda like Michel in Bresson's Pickpocket, who moves from city to city to avoid getting caught). He never had to sacrifice himself, he already killed the guy who gave him the contract to kill the pianist, so there is no threat to the pianist anymore.
I don't think the contract was for the jazz pianist tho. After Costello kills his employer, he looks down and sees it's the same apartment she lives in. Meaning they were probably married or lovers. The real hit was probably for the bartender, but he lied the pianist to set her up or make her believe her husband/lover wanted her dead. My take away atleast.
This film is almost impossible to get in the UK. You can get most of Melville's films but no company has released this in a region 2 format. it's so frustrating.
Pirate bay for the classics, or foreign cinema (I pay for every streaming service under the sun so I don't have a problem with it)
What a strange way to pronounce Alain Delon
There's another review on RUclips where the person literally says "Elaine".
Yeah, it would be better just saying Alan, because Alain is pronounced as Alan in french
@@fernandomaron87 Not quite, but at least closer than Elaine lol
I'm a caged bird how much do I miss the sky cants explained
at 4.30 a fly lands on her hand..😋
VIVE ALAIN DELON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm still confused about why the singer had the same address as the contractor he killed. Who was she really? Why did the guy want her dead?
Reminds me of Hitman.
The bird from Blood Money was a homage to this
Yeah a formalist masterpiece hated by the critics because there is zero illusion of freedom. It's all about the preparation for the moment of Zen death. Melville in his great trilogy with Delon Le Samourai Circle Rouge Un Flic works through the patterning of misogyny suicide betrayal nihilism with more than a touch of his Gestapo Resistance experiences but right there in the middle of the swinging 60s it's cold perfection theorom of the anti life hated by especially the left critics snubbed by the rest of the new wave. Influence? Nothing produced since comes any near it as a statement about human futility. Lot of wannabees but only imitations and thefts of the inferior Yanks which are cringe making. Like he said he was making Japanese films not American Noir. The blend of French introversion and Zen was a natural fusion.
acho que se na cena final ele matasse ela mesmo não querendo, e depois na mesma cena é morto