Joey Magidson
One of the highlights of Joey’s January (for me at least) on the Awards Radar Podcast has getting to have Myles Hughes experience Le Samouraï for the first time. My favorite French film is one of the coolest crime dramas ever made, simply put. So, having him watch it was an absolute joy for me. He was delighted by it, too, which in turn delighted me. Now, with a 4K release happening in theaters this weekend, all of you can have that same experience as well.
This, by the way, is what Myles had to say when he watched the movie:
Le Samouraï is the tale of Jef Costello (Alain Delon), a professional hitman trying to escape capture after completing a job. Directed and co-written by Jean-Pierre Melville, it’s a mix of the modern French sensibilities of the time, the American gangster tales of a prior era, and to go back even further, the Japanese warriors of yore. It all comes together beautifully, so much so that I’d argue this is maybe the perfect flick to introduce a budding cinephile to when bringing international cinema into the fold.
I’m a huge fan of this movie, which has just the coolest vibes, a great sense of tension, and just plain works. For about 100 minutes, which I might add absolutely fly by, you’re in the hands of masters. The thing is, so often, when you have someone discover a classic, it can feel of a time. Or, it can lack in the entertainment value that so many folks crave with content. That’s not the case here, as it’s a kick-ass good time, to boot.
The film is a major influence of David Fincher‘s The Killer, to be sure. Michael Fassbender‘s unnamed hitman could easily be a modern Jef, just filtered through Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker‘s specific sensibilities. I love both, and they would make for a hell of a double feature, but they do feature two different takes on a largely similar story.
This weekend, Le Samouraï gets a 4K re-release in select theaters. I don’t always pay much attention to re-releases, since there’s so many new things to consider, but it’s a bit of a quiet period for new releases. So, this was on my radar (no pun intended)
If you end up seeing it, please do let us know what you think of the film. Especially if the movie blows you away, join our fan club. Either way, a stone cold classic is coming back to theaters and you should all pay attention. If you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor. You can thank me later…
Le Samouraï opens (in 4K) in limited release on Friday!
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