From the original review: Perhaps more important as a template for neo-noirs to come than on its own merits, Jean-Pierre Melville’s elegantly spare and sparely elegant Le Samouraï (1967) still has much to be said for it in its own right — and it’s a film that makes a fascinating companion piece to John Boorman’s Point Blank (1967). (The two films so complement each other that it’s hard to believe they were made independently, but they were.) The story is a simple one. Hitman Jef Costello (Alain Delon) is a consummate professional who never gets caught — until the hit that’s central to the film, the one in which he spares a jazz-pianist witness (Cathy Rosier). Melville’s interest is in the details of Costello’s world and in the path he is on. The film is never rushed and never melodramatic, but somehow its very methodical nature — and its inexpressive star — make it compelling.
Full review: http://www.mountainx.com/movies/review/samourai
Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Le Samouraï Friday, June 21, at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com.
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