Le Samouraï (The Godson) (1967)

100% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
93% of users liked it
(12,571 ratings)

Long considered a classic of European film noir, this existential gangster drama from French director Jean-Pierre Melville was released in the United States only in a severely truncated, re-edited, and overdubbed version entitled The Godson. Thirty years after its initial public airing, Le Samourai… More Long considered a classic of European film noir, this existential gangster drama from French director Jean-Pierre Melville was released in the United States only in a severely truncated, re-edited, and overdubbed version entitled The Godson. Thirty years after its initial public airing, Le Samourai (1967) finally saw a limited American release in its intended form. Alain Delon stars as Jef Costello, a professional Parisian assassin-for-hire who, by nature of his work's solitary demands, has no friends. Although he is loved by Jane Lagrange (Natalie Delon, the star's real-life wife), Costello knows that Jane already has a lover. After he successfully wipes out a nightclub owner at the behest of his boss, Costello discovers that he was seen by the club's pianist, Valerie (Cathy Rosier). Although he survives a police lineup thanks to a lie offered up by the fearless Valerie, Costello's alibi disintegrates rapidly and his shadowy employer takes out a contract on him. As he seeks revenge on his betrayer, Costello must also stay one step ahead of a wily, determined superintendent (Francois Perier). Melville's film influenced several other filmmakers and projects, most notably director John Woo's The Killer (1989). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Jean-Pierre Melville
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

On DVD: Oct 25, 2005

Critic Reviews

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Delon's inscrutable presence adds to an unnerving atmosphere of anticipation. You feel that something bad could come crashing into the frame at any second. And you would be right.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
[Melville's] style remains haunting and elegantly spare, just right for the kind of hit man who lives in silence, in bare and colorless surroundings, with a lonely caged bird.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Le samourai expresses a kind of loneliness to be sure, but it's that of a teenage male dreaming about Hollywood movies and their accoutrements -- penthouse apartments, acerbic cops, melancholy city streets, smoky card games, fancy jazz nightclubs.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
One of the pleasures of Le Samourai is to realize how complicated the plot has grown, in its flat, deadpan way.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
To each his own. Filmmakers as diverse as Quentin Tarantino and Paul Schrader were influenced by Melville, and Hong Kong action director John Woo calls the film 'the closest to a perfect movie that I have ever seen.'
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
It combines stylish direction, an intelligent script, first-rate performances, and overpowering atmosphere into one of the most tense and absorbing thrillers ever to reach the screen.
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
an enjoyably stylish entry in the French crime film tradition, but a decidedly minor one
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A major work from a highly influential director -- Walter Hill and John Woo have both taken a lesson or two -- yet one whose films have been, until now, inexplicably neglected in the U.S.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Melville's film had a major influence in Hollywood.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
The role not surprisingly made Alain Delon a star. Despite his limited range of expressions, Delon conveys a great deal through his piercing blue eyes and the smallest bits of body language.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
A poised tiger navigating an urban jungle, Delon's samouraï is the epitome of noir cool.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Achieves an atmosphere of mesmerizing, otherworldly beauty and grace.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
By far the coolest.
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com
Making films this good wasn't a principle for Melville, it was a habit.
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Le Samouraï's narrative players are designed for easy interpretation. This fosters the plot's complication, as well as Melville's inimitably stylistic filmmaking
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The film has been a tremendous influence to the crime drama genre.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Veronique K

one attribute from french new wave cinema is its bona-fide homage to american film noir during the forties meanwhile rejoices its burgeoning postmodernity saturated by the gaudy hues of technicolor. what most cinephiles who are intoxicated by swooning charm of french new wave fail to… More
one attribute from french new wave cinema is its bona-fide homage to american film noir during the forties meanwhile rejoices its burgeoning postmodernity saturated by the gaudy hues of technicolor. what most cinephiles who are intoxicated by swooning charm of french new wave fail to see is that "le samourai" is a homage to forties "this gun for hire" devoid of americanistic patriotism, immersed in its sheer apolitical aesthetics. thus the social criticism within the forties american noir is lobotomized and continues to be rejuvenated through the stylism of hedonistic sixties and seventies. alain delon's enigmatic first scene resembles alan ladd's first scene in "this gun for hire". ladd's character in "hire" is raven who is an aloof thug doublecrossed by his employer, who turns out to be a national traitor selling nuclear weapon to japan. raven here is a de-romanticized romantic hero who pledges his devotion to veronica lake, who would eventually just return to the bosom of her policeman boyfriend (unrequited love). but the sixties raven, in the country of amour - france, is an iceberg casanova whose sultry gaze (as well as the shadow of his gorgeous eye-lashes) could emulate lauren bacall of "the big sleep"..in other words, he's quite capable to persuade his witness of murder into forging his faux innocence while he's got a prostitute-girlfriend who's willing to risk jail-sentence to create evidence of absence for him. (spoiler) what is neglected or constantly misperceived is the ending where delon shows up in a public jazz-club to finish off his last case of killing, paying the woman who forges his faux-innocence with chilly ingratitude as if his killerly duty is absolutely imperative. the denouement would be, he purposely appears there to be publicly executed by the police almost immediately just like a moth accelerates his doom to be consumed by the fire. the crucial detail is often ignored by the audience: he already empties the bullets of his gun before he goes to pull off his last kill. and he makes all the efforts to escape the subway siege from the policemen just to bid his last farewell to his prostitute-girlfriend. what hides beneath the cool iceberg is a flow of incorrigible passion (so hot and cold in the same time!) gravitated by the existential motor of fate as he consummates his utmost love in the form of death. "le samourai" would be the most romantic gangster-noir picture which isn't about any power-wrestling feud between men but a microscopic confrontation of one's ultimate doom while perishing within the rosy fragments of romance, which reminds me of a james-dean quote: "live as if you're going to live forever; dream as if you're going to die tomorrow." the androgynously beautiful alain delon shall be the superb embodiment of noirish romanticism: a feminine-faced man with a hard-boiled masculine ego. how could you help yourself not to love him?!
Reid V

At his core, Melville seems to have a real passion for ice-cool crime thrillers. While Army of Shadows showcases his ability to craft really insightful pieces on the human condition, this film has Melville flexing his noir muscle. The story is thin, but the style is thick. Half of the… More
At his core, Melville seems to have a real passion for ice-cool crime thrillers. While Army of Shadows showcases his ability to craft really insightful pieces on the human condition, this film has Melville flexing his noir muscle. The story is thin, but the style is thick. Half of the film just seems to be the protagonist, donning a trench coat and fedora, soberly advancing through the city. When he is not walking, Melville juxtaposes the intense and often unscrupulous investigation of the police with Delon's ritualistic down time. Melville just seems to revel in these two disparate ways of living and doesn't try to convolute the story by adding other dimensions. Melville is just obviously comfortable with this type of thriller and it is nice to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Aditya G

The film opens with a long shot of a small apartment and the background noise consists of the continuous tweeting of a bird. A man is lying on the bed, smoking a cigarette, although he isn't the focus of this frame. This shot occupies the screen for some time and throughout the… More
The film opens with a long shot of a small apartment and the background noise consists of the continuous tweeting of a bird. A man is lying on the bed, smoking a cigarette, although he isn't the focus of this frame. This shot occupies the screen for some time and throughout the appearance of the title cards. A quote appears apparently taken from a so-called "Book of the Samurai"...." There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai unless it is perhaps that of the tiger in the jungle...". Our protagonist is introduced to us...he is in total solitude, all right. This neat beginning sets the somber tone of what's to follow. Alain Delon (uber cool) is Jeff Costello, a hitman who kills people for a living. He is a man of a few words, is almost expressionless, walks around with a coat and a hat. But his methods are quite meticulous...he tries his best to remain inconspicuous in the public view (just like in the opening frame..inconspicuous to us audiences!). He is a loner, except for about a couple of people who are close to him, but who he needs as accomplices to support himself with a perfect alibi or change the license plates of the cars he steals in order to get to a place to carry out a task he is hired to accomplish. He sees himself as a perfectionist, someone who never fails. The perfectionism reflects in his lifestyle too... with neatly lined up bottles of water and packs of cigarettes in the room. He also seems to be a man of principles. "Le Samourai" chronicles the happenings over one fateful weekend of Costello's life when his perfectionism slightly fails him during one of his tasks. It triggers a chain of events which lead him into a situation in which he can trust no one and reinforces the fact, that he is indeed, friendless. "Le Samourai" is one of the finest films (or perhaps THE finest film) centering around a hitman. It is also probably one of its kinds in the genre. Yes, the protagonist is a hitman, but do not expect any action-packed car chases, plenty of fast paced action or anything of that sort. What we instead get, thankfully, is a very restrained, subtle and immensely absorbing picture which creates magic with mood and style. For the first several minutes and during other times in the film there is almost no dialog. Yet, writer-director Jean-Pierre Melville's lucid narrative style makes for very engaging viewing with each scene written with so much dexterity, we almost don't miss the dialog! Moreover, despite the controlled, minimalist approach to story-telling, Jean-Pierre Melville creates an atmosphere of nail-biting tension throughout the 100 minutes length of the film. Not one scene frame out of place or unnecessary. Moving on through the film, Melville introduces some clever twists which lead the film to its thrilling climax. Certain key plot elements are never revealed to us audiences, and hence the reasoning behind some of Jeff's motivations and subsequent actions are not entirely clear. We are supposed to tie some of the ends on our own, and when we do, we find ourselves drawing a very satisfying conclusion to a very powerful story. The taking of the final scene is perhaps the only part in the film that slightly undermines the otherwise flawless screenplay, and I wish the filmmakers had considered shooting a slightly altered version of the scene, but that is but a tiny spot on an otherwise immaculate canvas. Alain Delon, the lead actor, shines in a excellent underplaying of Jeff Costello, the brooding anti-hero of this venture and perhaps one of the finest characters ever written for film. His charismatic screen presence combined with cool mannerisms make for an awe-inspiring performance indeed. The other fine performance comes from the dude on the opposite side of the law, the Police Superintendent, played by François Périer, who finds himself on a never-ending trail of the assassin that is Jeff! The pretty ladies Cathy Rosier as the nightclub pianist, Valerie and Nathalie Delon Jeff's alibi girlfriend Jane don't have much to do except look pretty. The original music by François de Roubaix is superb and a perfect fit for the film's atmosphere. Jean-Pierre Melville directs with his magical touch and gives us a film which is a stylish as well as powerful crime thriller which merits repeated viewings. Very highly recommended!
Nicki M

This has a similar plot to the recent film "The American", but I have to say I vastly preferred it. This is well shot and the scenes of 60's France really work well with the story. Though the character here is not especially likeable either, he does retain his mystery… More
This has a similar plot to the recent film "The American", but I have to say I vastly preferred it. This is well shot and the scenes of 60's France really work well with the story. Though the character here is not especially likeable either, he does retain his mystery all the way through making this quite a good little thriller. Acting is excellent also.
Randy T

A fantastic bit of neo-noir that builds it's momentum so subtly one barely notices it's acceleration. Well acted and exquisitely scored.
Elvira B

Le Samourai is a masterpiece. Now that we got that out of the way, I suppose it's unnecessary to even say that it's a MUST watch and that it single-handedly outdoes most of the other French New Wave films I've seen so far. Jean Pierre Melville's… More
Le Samourai is a masterpiece. Now that we got that out of the way, I suppose it's unnecessary to even say that it's a MUST watch and that it single-handedly outdoes most of the other French New Wave films I've seen so far. Jean Pierre Melville's film is a homage to the American noir: its stylings and its characters. And it's probably better than most of those films. It's hypnotizing in a way that truly transcends an explanation -everything is just right, every element falls into place harmoniously in every scene: set, lighting, score, cinematography. And I mean as harmoniously as such a dark film can allow. Most importantly, in Le Samourai the quality of the technical aspects and the precision of each montage is on par with the quality of the performances. Alain Delon is larger than life as Jef Costello. Jef is a hired assassin who lives a life not different from that of a samourai... as Delon said once during an interview, he is a modern-day samourai. He's lonely -although it's unclear whether this is because he chose to shun society, or because he was shunned in account of his strange, reclusive nature-. Maybe he chooses to be alone. It is as though his job is his one motivation. He never expresses feeling. He is self-sufficient. He is helplessly committed to the twisted honor of his profession. Alain Delon's performance is stunning: there is always something behind his cold blue eyes, and we know it's there, but it's perfectly collected and repressed. His countenance never changes, only when it absolutely must, and then the impact of these changes is awe-inspiring. There is an aggressive masculinity to his role, but Delon himself is very feminine. He's an assassin, but he's beautiful. His screen presence is everything. Without that game of isolation and charisma, ugliness and beauty, Le Samourai wouldn't be nearly as remarkable. It's a film driven by one performance. One perfect performance, backed by a script very much in tune -although, at that, extraordinary- with the usual French approach to gangster films: one that goes beyond the plotting and the fedoras, into the minds of the criminals. Tortured men, driven by existential desperation rather than, or in equal measure as, greed. The rest of the film's success is its styilization. When watching Le Samourai, you breathe mood -mood -mood. The cinematography is wonderful; Paris is seen in washed-out blues, beiges and whites. Every character is dressed and carries itself with flair. Every man blowing out cigarette smoke is perfectly framed, perfectly half-hidden in the dark, all movements perfectly orchestrated. The atmosphere is almost reverential towards the heaviness of the subject, and melancholy in accordance to the main character's self-constructed doom. The final (and probably the most important) charm of Le Samourai is the character of Jef Costello himself. He has a compromise, based purely on principle, that would be unthinkable in an era in which people flee from committment. He has chosen a revolting line of work that he elevates with the odd dignity with which he performs every little task. He never gives up on solitude. He never bows to anyone. He believes the ethics of his profession are to be taken seriously. ...And he knows that he can't succeed in the modern world by acting that way. Principles, for whatever purpose, are out of date. He knows he's doomed to fail, and so do we, ever since the first shot. So the entire film is really how he walks towards his destiny, understanding that he can't escape it. And everything ends in the most beautiful and sad way possible. Le Samourai is free for interpretation. Its content is just as ambiguous as it must be in order to stay within its poetic context. I could never stop praising it. Melville found the way to do what I suppose filmmakers all seek: create a film in which images, colors, gestures, decisions, what happens behind the faces of the characters, can convey a message, and tell a story. He doesn't need words, he doesn't make use of explanations. It's breathtaking. I can't recommend it enough.
Drew S

Alain Delon is flaming hot sex. Also, this is a knockout example of communicating a lot while saying very little in cinema terms; as soon as I finished it I felt like I could talk about it for half an hour. The unusual ending just helps to sell this depth, because you know that a man… More
Alain Delon is flaming hot sex. Also, this is a knockout example of communicating a lot while saying very little in cinema terms; as soon as I finished it I felt like I could talk about it for half an hour. The unusual ending just helps to sell this depth, because you know that a man as calculating and thoughtful as Jef couldn't have done this seemingly random act for no reason at all. The pacing is a little thick, but the fantastic editing and cinematography help to alleviate this. Every frame feels memorable and deliberate, and it helps you to burn the film into your mind all the more. Le Samourai is a piece best viewed analytically, a treasure trove of filmic ability and narrative depth that really will give any cinephile something to chew on. Incredibly impressive work.
danny d

an interesting story about a hitman in paris. the stoic nature of the film was well crafted and the actors were great. a film limited on diologue, the movement of the main character and the intrigue into his actions drives the film. a true classic, this film doesnt grab me after… More
an interesting story about a hitman in paris. the stoic nature of the film was well crafted and the actors were great. a film limited on diologue, the movement of the main character and the intrigue into his actions drives the film. a true classic, this film doesnt grab me after two viewings like it does most, but it is still a great film that is the definition of the stylized approach of one of my favorite directors in history. while down the list a little for me this is often considered by many to be melvilles best film.
Tsubaki S

Everyone from Besson to Woo and Jarmush, from Leon to The Killer and more recently Kim Ji Woon's A Bittersweet Life own a lot to Melville's Le Samourai. One of the most influential films ever made, probably the first sucessfull fusion of eastern and western references, from… More
Everyone from Besson to Woo and Jarmush, from Leon to The Killer and more recently Kim Ji Woon's A Bittersweet Life own a lot to Melville's Le Samourai. One of the most influential films ever made, probably the first sucessfull fusion of eastern and western references, from noir to samurai flicks. The "lonely-cool-cold-as-ice-killer" prototype becomes an icon in Alain Deloin's feet. And for fuck sake, remove that "Godson" title.
Pierluigi P

Alain Delon plays a cool, well dressed hitman who travels through the colourful sixties paris underworld following a code of silence. superb art design and overall feeling of a lonely, austere way of living.
Stephen M

Another masterpiece currently unavailable on DVD in the UK. A glacially cool study of a contract killer.
Ken S

What's cooler than being cool? Ice Cold. What cooler than that? Absolute Zero What's cooler than that? This movie
Michael G

I'm sure I would've been W A Y more into this if I hadn't already seen This Gun For Hire, White Heat and the dozen other gangster and noir movies that Le Samourai borrows liberally from. The fact that I've seen a lot of Godard didn't help either. And this is a… More
I'm sure I would've been W A Y more into this if I hadn't already seen This Gun For Hire, White Heat and the dozen other gangster and noir movies that Le Samourai borrows liberally from. The fact that I've seen a lot of Godard didn't help either. And this is a shame because I should be able to appreciate this film but I can't bring myself to. And for me it's a damn shame because I really wanted to like this movie. But unfortunately I didn't so I was bored shitless. Le Samourai is great from a technical standpoint but beyond that there is no way in hell I could care less. I searched for nearly two hours for a reason I should care, but unfortunately I found it only after I stopped caring. Too little too late. I'm hoping a second viewing will help.
xGary X

Classically cold and brutal noir featuring Alain Delon in one of his defining roles. Hugely influential french neo-noir that effortlessly exudes 60s cool and deconsructed screen violence, fans of Leon should definitely check this out.
Lanning :

Alain Delon in one of his most classically understated performances ever. In fact, I'd venture that Delon pretty much defines "understated performance." Melville cast him perfectly for this French hommage to the "masterless warrior" figure… More
Alain Delon in one of his most classically understated performances ever. In fact, I'd venture that Delon pretty much defines "understated performance." Melville cast him perfectly for this French hommage to the "masterless warrior" figure of Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Leone's Per un Pugno di Dollari (A Fistfull of Dollars). Ever noticed that Delon's bird has more lines in this than Delon? : )
Christopher M

Very slick film, with a decidedly Hitchockian flare. Alain Delon was cooly brilliant. Solid film noir.
Eric B

Boy, and I thought Clint Eastwood was a man of few words!
Gevvy S

Alain Delon has a great magneticism and stillness about him that makes this film so watchable. Melville camera work and pacing are simply perfect in this film. The sequences with the canary were very intriguing and the sequences on the subway I'm sure inspired films like the… More
Alain Delon has a great magneticism and stillness about him that makes this film so watchable. Melville camera work and pacing are simply perfect in this film. The sequences with the canary were very intriguing and the sequences on the subway I'm sure inspired films like the French connection.
Lauren D

I saw the Criterion DVD cover for this and I thought 'that looks awesome'. So I watched it. And I was amazed. The first 10 minutes, I was kind of 'meh'. Then, I was on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the screen for the entire time. It… More
I saw the Criterion DVD cover for this and I thought 'that looks awesome'. So I watched it. And I was amazed. The first 10 minutes, I was kind of 'meh'. Then, I was on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the screen for the entire time. It wasn't just the plot; the main character was so frickin' awesome, I was in shock. I've never heard of Alain Delon before, but I definitely have to see more of him. And Melville too.
alan j

A simple, quiet movie that is a classic and copied in one form or another by countless other directors. Influential for its time and holds up well 44 years later. I term this move minimalist...alot going on beneath the surface, but dialogue is kept sparse. An interesting story told… More
A simple, quiet movie that is a classic and copied in one form or another by countless other directors. Influential for its time and holds up well 44 years later. I term this move minimalist...alot going on beneath the surface, but dialogue is kept sparse. An interesting story told well.