---
title: "Le Samouraï"
year: 1967
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/le-samourai"
fi1m_id: "le-samourai"
imdb_id: "tt0062229"
tmdb_id: 5511
wikidata_id: "Q618499"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-26T16:29:00.926526+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T16:29:01.969107+00:00"
region: "CL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Le Samouraï (1967)

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville · 1h 45m · Crime, Thriller, Drama

## Identity

Le Samouraï

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/le-samourai
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** le-samourai
- **IMDb ID:** tt0062229
- **TMDB ID:** 5511
- **Wikidata ID:** Q618499
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062229/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5511, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q618499

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 80 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Alain Delon makes being wanted by the police look like a private inconvenience

> Jean-Pierre Melville makes a gripping thriller out of a killer’s guarded behaviour and the police effort to catch him. Alain Delon holds our attention, though the people around him deserve more of it.

## Synopsis

A professional killer, Jef Costello (Alain Delon), tries to stay ahead of the police in France. The Superintendant (François Périer) is on his trail; Jane Lagrange (Nathalie Delon) and Valérie (Cathy Rosier) also figure in the story. Jef says little, giving those who watch him few clues to what he thinks or feels. As the police pursue him, his controlled behaviour comes under pressure. The pursuit centres on a man whose outward composure keeps his motives and fears difficult to read.

## Review

*Le Samouraï* is a gripping crime thriller, although its fascination with its killer sometimes leaves the other people short of attention. Jean-Pierre Melville puts a professional criminal under pressure and watches how little of that pressure he will show. This gives the police pursuit an extra source of suspense: we keep looking for a feeling that Jef Costello cannot conceal. The film asks for close attention and makes that attention worthwhile.

Alain Delon is the reason this works. His precision makes Jef’s reserve feel like something he has to maintain, so the apparent lack of expression becomes absorbing. We felt unexpectedly sorry for Jef, because that guarded face makes the effort of staying composed look exhausting. The sympathy makes the pursuit more anxious to watch, even though there is no reason to approve of the man’s profession.

Henri Decaë’s cinematography gives the blacks and greys enough variation to hold our interest without relying on brighter colour. Faces remain the things we look at most closely, which suits a film so dependent on what its leading actor declines to show. François de Lamothe’s production design is similarly spare, keeping our attention from wandering to the surroundings. The images never become drab; we find ourselves looking harder at shades we might otherwise scarcely distinguish.

Editors Yolande Maurette and Monique Bonnot give us time to study Jef without letting the police pursuit lose its urgency. We are interested in how he handles being hunted, so the question of whether he escapes need not carry every scene. François Périer’s Superintendant gives the pursuit a human opponent, an important consideration when the lead is so withdrawn. The suspense grows from watching people closely, and the cutting gives their behaviour enough time to register.

The screenplay, credited to Georges Pellegrin and Jean-Pierre Melville, is less satisfying when our attention moves away from Jef. Jane Lagrange and Valérie interest us, but Nathalie Delon and Cathy Rosier leave us wishing the film were more curious about them. We would like to know these people beyond their place in the killer’s story. The reluctance to explain him is compelling; extending that treatment to the supporting characters sometimes makes them seem underwritten.

François de Roubaix’s music is well judged, supporting the unease without making Jef seem more approachable. The gangster conventions are familiar enough, and the film’s individuality comes from the care given to staging and performance. That can sound like faint praise for a thriller, until we remember how often frantic cutting and emphatic acting make one less rewarding to follow. There is pleasure here in being allowed to look, listen and decide what we think.

At 105 minutes, it asks for patience without requiring a whole evening of it. We would welcome more life beyond Jef, but we would not want Alain Delon’s performance made easier or more demonstrative. Anyone looking for a talkative criminal who explains himself should look elsewhere. Watch it when there is nothing else competing for attention.

*Fi1m score 88, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Le Samouraï, with praise clustering around Delon’s controlled performance, Melville’s meticulous staging and the austere visual style. The strongest notices find the carefully arranged suspense gripping and the urban isolation haunting. Delon’s reserve is central to that response: critics describe an icy, precise presence, though some also find quiet sympathy in his portrayal of a professional killer.

The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to mixed approval, with no outright negative verdicts recorded. Variety offers the clearest reservation, finding the combination of French setting and gangster conventions only intermittently successful, while still praising Delon and the suspense of the police pursuit. The other mixed entries lack accessible review text, so their specific objections remain unclear. That limits how firmly any shared complaint can be identified; the documented praise is much more consistent.

## Straight answers

**Is Le Samouraï worth watching?**

*Le Samouraï* is well worth watching for patient viewers who enjoy closely observed crime thrillers, and we score it 88 out of 100. Alain Delon’s guarded performance makes the police pursuit gripping, though we wish the supporting characters received more attention. Give it an evening without distractions rather than expecting a talkative criminal who explains himself.

**How long is Le Samouraï, and what is it rated?**

*Le Samouraï* runs 1h 45m. It is a crime and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Le Samouraï in Chile?**

*Le Samouraï* is not on any streaming or rental service in Chile at the moment. It is available in 5 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Le Samouraï, and is it suitable for children?**

*Le Samouraï* carries a US PG certificate, which advises parental guidance rather than guaranteeing suitability for every child. Its professional-killer story builds unease through police pursuit and the strain of staying composed, though we cannot specify the level of graphic violence from that rating alone. We recommend it for viewers comfortable with sustained tension and patient observation.

**How does Le Samouraï compare to Pickpocket?**

*Le Samouraï* is the more emotionally involving choice beside [*Pickpocket*](https://film.one/film/pickpocket), though both build suspense around a guarded man and precise physical behaviour. We find Delon’s effort to stay composed unexpectedly affecting, whereas Bresson makes the mechanics of stealing absorbing while keeping the thief harder to reach. Choose *Le Samouraï* for the anxious police pursuit, *Pickpocket* for its concentrated attention to stealing.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (5/5): The critic praises the film as an ultra-stylish study of a professional killer. Delon’s performance and Melville’s meticulous staging receive particular acclaim. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9b8qzo/le-samoura/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (90/100, inferred): Newman praises the film as a riveting, stylish thriller with a haunting vision of urban alienation. He singles out Delon’s icy performance and the film’s carefully staged suspense. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/le-samourai-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): Turan presents the film as an elegant, unforgettable modern gangster classic. He especially praises its austere visual style and Delon’s precise, bloodless performance. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-27-ca-32727-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (4.5/5): Bowen calls the film a masterpiece and finds the new 4K transfer revelatory, making up for the dated extras. He particularly praises the richer, more varied black-and-gray tones, which intensify the film’s painterly look. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/le-samourai-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-jean-pierre-melville/)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (85/100, inferred): Phipps calls the film a terrific, tense thriller and fascinating character study. He praises Delon’s quietly sympathetic portrayal and the film’s distinctive style and influence. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/le-samourai-1798195210)
- **RogerEbert.com** (80/100, inferred): The page is identified as a Great Movie review of the 1967 film, but its text is blocked. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified from the available content. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-le-samourai-1967)
- **The New York Times** (66/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. The URL identifies a review of Le Samouraï. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/30/movies/film-review-a-frenchman-on-the-lam-out-to-settle-old-scores.html)
- **Time Out**, ATu (65/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. The available description evokes the film’s shadowy style and taciturn characters without stating a specific point of praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/le-samourai)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film intermittently successful, with its French setting and gangster conventions forming a curious hybrid. Delon’s glacial presence and the suspense of the police pursuit stand out positively. [Read](https://variety.com/1966/film/reviews/le-samourai-1200421329/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jean-Pierre Melville
- **Director:** Jean-Pierre Melville
- **Screenplay:** Georges Pellegrin, Jean-Pierre Melville
- **Cinematography:** Henri Decaë
- **Editor:** Monique Bonnot, Yolande Maurette
- **Music:** François de Roubaix
- **Production design:** François de Lamothe
- **Producer:** Raymond Borderie, Eugène Lépicier
- **Cast:** Alain Delon as Jef Costello; François Périer as Superintendant; Nathalie Delon as Jane Lagrange; Cathy Rosier as Valérie; Michel Boisrond as Wiener; Catherine Jourdan as Locker Room Girl; Jean-Pierre Posier as Olivier Rey; Robert Favart as Bartender
- **Runtime:** 1h 45m
- **First release (France):** 25 October 1967
- **Genres:** Crime, Thriller, Drama
- **Box office:** $215,245
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTFV07ah4fY

## Where to watch in Chile

Not streaming, renting or buying in Chile at the last check.

Also available in: CA, FR, GB, IE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Pickpocket* (1959), Fi1m 84: A guarded man, exact physical routines, and suspense built from close observation — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pickpocket.md)
- *A Colt Is My Passport* (1967): Another hired killer under pressure, with spare staging and little spare sentiment
- *The American Friend* (1977): Criminal work becomes painfully personal, with more warmth and just as much unease
- *The Killer* (1989): Professional killing and private loyalties, with the feelings turned considerably further up
- *The American* (2010): Patient attention to a solitary gunman’s work, with unease in the quiet stretches

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/le-samourai