Le Samouraï

Now a cult film the world over, Le Samouraï (The Godson) is surprising through its direction, which is "as clean and dry as a pen and ink drawing" (J. de Baroncelli) and its uncluttered plastic beauty. The film finally gives Melville the opportunity to work with Alain Delon, after having offered him several roles, including Gerbier in L'Armée des Ombres (The Army in the Shadows). "In 1963, I wrote an original script for him. He wanted me to read it to him. Alain listened to me without even moving, when suddenly he stopped me: "You've been reading this script to me for 7 ½ minutes and there still isn't even the hint of a line of dialogue. That's enough, I'll do the film". Continuing in his exploration of the theme of solitude, Melville gives "a meticulous, medical description of the behaviour of a schizophrenic hit man", Le Samouraï is also an ironic tribute to Japanese culture. This is shown with a quote falsely attributed to Bushido which opens the film: "there is no greater solitude than that of the Samurai, unless it be that of the tiger in the jungle..."