Sound: No surprises here, Le Samourai is presented in its original French language in a crisp and clear Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono mix with optional subtitles available in English. Browse more videos. Therefore, the picture sort of fluctuates between jaw-dropping and so-so. I loved rewatching this. Melville knew that you did not always need a high body count for a film to be thrilling. I already had a Criterion DVD with super quality as far as DVDs go, but wanted an upgrade to Blu Ray which Crterion does not offer. However, it also can’t help but feel stylized. Blu-ray Review: Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï on the Criterion Collection Criterion has colorfully refurbished Melville’s nearly abstract masterpiece of cool loneliness. While much of the new transfer looks absolutely extraordinary (the scene in which Jef meets the other hitman on the bridge in broad daylight looks absolutely unbelievable), there are some issues with grainy picture during a significant portion of the night-time scenes. Lengthy sequences are carried out showing the process of determining the next moves on all sides. He does not disappoint. Audio is presented in a French LPCM Mono track. 4 Video: How does it look? Instagram: @stephanie_reviews Le Samouraï truly is a classic film. The first film I saw by Jean-Pierre Melville was his 1967 masterpiece, Le Samouraï. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. The lineup and interrogation scenes have police officers running through a variety of different duties to extend the tension and make it all believable. In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts. Criterion has held off on releasing Le Samouraï for years on Blu-ray and now that it is out, the biggest question is whether or not it was worth the wait. Yes, there is a clear presentation that finds plenty of details in the close-ups we see and elements such as the clothing presented. Le Samourai (The Criterion Collection): Amazon.sg: Movies & TV Shows. Copyright 1999-2020 Blu-ray Authority | All Rights Reserved, Le Samourai: Criterion Collection (Blu-ray), Elizabethtown: Paramount Presents (Blu-ray), The Simpson’s: The Complete Nineteenth Season. He is also one of my personal favorite filmmakers and professional heroes. (Will not be published) (Required). Mail Copyright 2008-2015 WhySoBlu.com. For more about Le Samouraï and the Le Samouraï Blu-ray release, see Le Samouraï Blu-ray Review published by Dr. Svet Atanasov on October 11, … Hello Select your address All Hello, Sign in. Criterion have released Le Samouraï in a new 1080p transfer with an MPEG-4 AVC codec. We see everything Jef does to prepare as well as fix himself. On top of the extraordinary acting by Alain Delon, the film finds Jean-Pierre Melville in top form. I don’t think Le Samourai is as good as some make it out to be, but it is a solid flick and Criterion’s DVD is recommended. Blu-ray Review: Jim Jarmusch Brings GHOST DOG To The Criterion Collection The Way of the Samurai is an absolute surplus of special features, apparently. Compared to other films about assassins where the body count piles up, Le Samouraï only concerns one job and the ramifications of it. What I got was however nothing more than a mediocre (to put it mildly) DVD master copied onto a Blu Ray medium. In having the opportunity to review new releases from The Criterion Collection, there are certain films I have been waiting to see make their way to Blu-ray. Pinging is currently not allowed. New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray An empty room. As a result, Le Samouraï looks great on Blu-ray, but now without some shortcomings. The film itself is a classic – one of the best ever. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville • 1967 • France, Italy Starring Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts. Army of Shadows movie is directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and was released in 1969. This new Blu-ray release from the Criterion Collection manages to improve upon what was already a reference quality release with their previous issue of the film on Blu-ray even though it is still a 2K restoration. Some text alerts us to the way of the Samurai, which is the sort of figure the film purports Jef to be. Criterion’s Blu-ray sources a new 4K digital restoration that was supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The interrogation scenes, for example, feature a group of individuals and the depth of field always properly handles their presence. Le Samouraï has a sort of saturated look to it, given the inherent grittiness, but it doesn’t stop the nature of the colors presented to us from looking as good as they do. Monster Hunter invades on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD March 16th. The answer is a resounding … All Rights Reserved. Director John Badham Career Interview: On Casting, Characters and Killer Chemistry. Le Samourai: A Criterion Collection Review by StephanieReviews. However, wider shots and an issue I’ll address in a bit show the limits of this transfer. There are too many films, TV, books, etc. Whenever the organ music by composer Francois de Roubais enters the mix, it sounds beautiful and engrossing. Add it to your collection and start watching all of Melville’s films. Shop Le Samourai [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] [1967] at Best Buy. Delon is all three of those things. DVD & Blu-ray Films TV Prime Video Top Offers New & Future Releases Blu-ray Box Sets Best Sellers Advanced Search 1-16 of 207 results for DVD & Blu-ray : "le samourai" Skip to main search results Dynamics: The lossless track is excellent. Only one, the jazz club, relies on its chic qualities. This archetype was born in this film, and the world is better because of its existence. Aside from being considered The Godfather of the French new wave (Les Enfants Terribles, Le Silence De La Mer) Melville was one of the greatest noir filmmakers. A couple years ago, the first film I reviewed for Blu-ray Authority was Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Cercle Rouge. While leaving, he is seen exiting the scene of the crime by a beautiful jazz pianist (Cathy Rosier.) Melville knew how to deliberately pace his thrillers to have long patches of silence where the audience is left with their own thoughts. Many have tried to replicate Delon’s calm, cold, and quiet demeanor in the film and the closest to succeeding are Ryan Gosling in Drive or Chow Yun Fat in The Killer. These are interesting locations for all the ways we learn about them. November 30th, 2017 by Aaron Neuwirth . Le Samouraï is the sort of film that is not about the glamour of gangster culture but still has a striking look to it. Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï is one of the ultimate examples of this. Noise/Artifacts: Despite other issues and some signs of crush, there is a lot to compliment Criterion on when it comes to the lack of any problems regarding noise, stains or other types of damage. Aaron Neuwirth. The cinematography of the film by the amazing long-time collaborator Henri Decae is excellent with the camera showing a Paris that never sees an Eiffel Tower. That’s also why Le Samourai still resonates as a film all these years later. Le Samouraï moves to different Parisian locations, often overcrowded, and yet Jef finds the perfect way of blending in, while standing out for the audience. Given the many films ranging from John Woo’s The Killer to Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (please put this on Criterion too, by the way!) Much like a samurai film or a western, this movie features showdowns that require specific character placements and idyllic settings that can have the required audience and even set-dressing. Very rarely is somebody so handsome and charming an excellent actor. This item: Le samouraï (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] by Alain Delon Blu-ray $39.99 Only 18 left in stock - order soon. Jef must outwit both sides of the law if he wants to survive. Pierrot le Fou is out on Blu-ray October 6, 2020 from the Criterion Collection The way the actor holds onto his chameleon-like identity makes you want to go out and buy a fedora and trench coat to be just like him. It started a love affair with his films that continues today. Criterion has done an excellent job with this transfer. Here’s the film that brought a modern sense of cool to practically all the movies about contract killers, hitmen, assassins that proceeded it. He lights a cigarette, and smoke coils up toward a wisp of light from the window. Flesh Tones: Similarly, facial textures register quite strongly here. Writer/Reviewer, Film Lover, Podcaster, Gamer, Comic Reader, Disc Golfer & a Lefty. You can follow me on Twitter @AaronsPS4, see what else I am up to at TheCodeIsZeek.com & check out my podcast, Out Now with Aaron and Abe, on iTunes. Through all of this, you have Delon, who is excellent here. HOME | ABOUT | ADVERTISE | CONTACT | FAQs | FRIENDS | STAFF Dialogue Reproduction: Everyone is heard clearly. This film is probably the most silent of Melville’s films, with the main character hardly saying any lines. This film, as a whole, is a great addition to anyone’s Criterion collection. In having the opportunity to review new releases from The Criterion Collection, there are certain films I have been waiting to see make their way to Blu-ray. It’s a Paris of subways, apartments, nightclubs, and ever-present rain. Poised on the brink of absurdity, or a kind of attitudinizing male arrogance, Jean-Pierre Melville’s great film flirts with that macho extremism and slips over into dream and poetry just as we grow most alarmed. He makes it very clear that he will find a way of proving Jef pulled the trigger. The transfer is lush, boasting a significantly sharper and more detailed image than the ones found on prior home-video releases of the film. If you’re a fan of gangster films, stories about assassins, or just very cool cinema in general, this is not one to miss. This was no accident. This alibi is not satisfactory to the commissioner (Francois Perier) who believes the alibi to be too tidy. Criterion has done a nice job giving the film a more than respectable high definition presentation. As you’d expect, an older film such as this has been cleaned off a lot of the dirt, debris, scratches and other elements disrupting the look. Modern directors could learn a lot from revisiting his films and figuring out that an audience can be patient and then the rewarding ending can feel so much greater. Criterion takes an absolutely gorgeous aesthetic experience and brings it new life through its HD transfer, and one hopes there will be a receptive new audience for this masterful crime tale. It elevates the visuals of the film. The film follows Jef as he sets up his alibi with his beautiful girlfriend Jane (Nathalie Delon) for a specific time period and arranges to join a group of card players later that night to also be seen in public. Meanwhile, Jef’s employers get worried that he was brought in for questioning and they decide to double cross him. The mix itself although relegated to the two front channels has a good amount to offer in clarity. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. The setting is key. These are films that can withstand numerous viewings with growing admiration. In the shadows we can barely see a man on the bed. for me to list as favorites, but I can assure that the amount film knowledge within my noggin is ridiculous, though I am always open to learning more. IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Melville understood sound design enough to appreciate silence, and Criterion knows how to make that silence sound great with excellent clarity and lack of hiss. That may seem reductive to a point, but it is the best word to describe this film. Come With Me And Own GODZILLA On 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray March 23rd! Depth: Depth never feels like an issue. Le Samourai is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. 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