“The Samurai” A solitary way of life depicted in a masterpiece of French film noir

Style beauty established

I'm not sure whether the assassin played by Alain Delon was truly worthy of the name ``The Samurai.'' Some people may identify the Japanese samurai in the title with his way of life as a lone wolf who keeps others at bay. Some people may still say, ``I saw a samurai,'' even though the ending seems like he was looking for a place to die.

However, in this work, apart from the opening passage, there is no other definition of ``What is The Samurai?'', nor does it depict the main character's devotion to Bushido.

Lines are minimal. We are left without even the basic information about the identity of the killer, who he is, what he is thinking in his heart, and what he is trying to accomplish. All we have to do is use our imagination to fill in the details of this ``shorn-off world.''

Despite this, this work captivates viewers to the core. In fact, perhaps it's precisely because so many elements have been removed that it grips us and doesn't let go. After all, this work dares to color the interior and costumes with near-monochrome colors and shadows in the age of color, and also dares to express the silence of a silent film in the age of talkies. He attempts to clearly convey the protagonist's situation and inner state through his movements.

"The Samurai" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Alain Delon does not reveal his physical beauty as in ``Full of Purple Noon ,'' and his body is thickly covered with a hat and coat. There is no emotion or emotion on his face, and he simply heads straight to work with no expression on his face. The manner in which he looks in the mirror and carefully checks the angle of his hat, the calm and collected routine of finding the one suitable for the stolen car among a bunch of keys, the white gloves he wears on his hand during the murder scene, the quiet interior of the room. Lifting cigarette smoke. By repeating these depictions, a style of beauty is established.

On top of that, the gun fires without any warning, and a life-or-death struggle ensues with the opponent. I guess you could say that the action comes first, and the audience slowly digests its meaning as an afterthought. The police investigation network that has been set up throughout the city becomes proof that the operation has failed when the lights of the investigators' transmitters go out one by one. I can't help but feel a quiet excitement at the fact that the content is conveyed so well without subtitles.

In other words, the title ``The Samurai'' not only expresses the protagonist's solitary lifestyle and exchange of lives, but also seems to be a concept, notion, and aesthetic that symbolizes all of these finely honed expressiveness. Even the constant chirping of birds can be felt as an element that accentuates the silence, just like the relationship between running water and shishiodoshi.

Values, ideas, and aesthetics that go beyond Japanese culture