Sign-In
Cart
Le Samouraï
Paperback
Series: BFI Film Classics
Film StudiesFilm Guides & Reference
Publisher Price: $17.95
ISBN13: 9781839029639
Publisher: British Film Institute
Published: Jun 11 2026
Pages: 96
Weight: 0.35
Height: 0.25 Width: 5.40 Depth: 7.48
Language: English
In this compelling study, Daisuke Miyao explores Jean-Pierre Melville's cult 1967 thriller Le Samouraï, a film that unfolds in a coolly stylised Paris where the paths of a contract killer, Jef Costello (Alain Delon), and the police commissaire pursuing him (François Périer) fatally intersect.
Despite its title, Le Samouraï, is not a sword-clashing tale of feudal Japan. Rather, Miyao suggests that the film's philosophical framework draws on both existentialism and the samurai moral philosophy of bushido, or 'the way of the warrior', and considers how these philosophies may help explain Jef Costello's identity crisis and his concluding act of self-annihilation. In a close analysis of Melville's technical and aesthetic decisions, Miyao highlights the film's use of close-ups to convey or mask emotion, the play of light and shadow, and the function of flashbacks and dream sequences in the narrative, as well as the meanings of Costello's pet bullfinch. Setting Le Samouraï within the shifting landscape of post-war French cinema, Miyao traces its dialogue with Hollywood film noir and Japanese art cinema, particularly Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950), suggesting that both genres informed and influenced Melville's film-making.Also in
Film Guides & Reference
Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies That Are Out of This World
de Forest, Sloan
Turner Classic Movies
Paperback
Screenwriter's Bible, 7th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script
Trottier, David
Paperback
But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films
Lopez, Kristen
Hardcover
The Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Iconic Films
Rapold, Nicolas
Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy Coloring Book: Coloring Book
Warner Brothers Studio
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paperback
Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes & Films for Unforgettable Times Together
Maltin, Leonard
Maltin, Jessie
Hardcover
Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934
Luperi, Kim
Reid, Danny
Paperback
Frankenstein: The Complete Screenplay: Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro
del Toro, Guillermo
Hardcover
Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
Brooks, Dan
Crouse, Megan
Richau, Amy
Hardcover
Rewinding the '80s: Cinema Under the Influence of Music Videos, Action Stars, and a Cold War
Malahy, John
Paperback
Wes Anderson All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Narbonne, Christophe
Hardcover
Cinematic Immunity: An Oral History of New York Filmmaking as Told by the Crews That Got the Shot
Nirenberg, Michael Lee
Paperback
Ghibliotheque: The Unofficial Guide to the Movies of Studio Ghibli
Cunningham, Jake
Leader, Michael
Hardcover
Star Wars the Blueprints: Designs and Artwork from the Skywalker Saga
Rinzler, J. W.
Hidalgo, Pablo
Hardcover
Directing Actors - 25th Anniversary Edition: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television
Weston, Judith
Paperback
Reality TV for Snobs: Everything You Need to Know about the Shows You're Too Intellectual to Watch
Barthwell, Ali
Paperback
There and Back Again: The Unofficial Oral History of the Lord of the Rings Films
Moore, Sam
Hardcover
Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You're Too Scared to Watch
Hughes, Emily C.
Paperback
Interstellar: The Complete Screenplay with Selected Storyboards
Nolan, Christopher
Nolan, Jonathan
Paperback
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth Edition
Ascher, Steven
Paperback
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Library Edition)
Katz, Steve D.
Paperback
The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook: The Inside Story of the Beloved Movie Musical
Cartwright, Angela
Bronson, Fred
Hardcover
Marvel Studios the Marvel Cinematic Universe an Official Timeline
Ratcliffe, Amy
Theodore-Vachon, Rebecca
Breznican, Anthony
Hardcover
A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic Lantern to the Digital Screen
Smith, Ian Haydn
Paperback
The Fans' Love Story Encore: How the Movie Dirty Dancing Captured the Hearts of Millions!
Tabashnik, Sue
Paperback
Star Wars the Rise of Skywalker the Visual Dictionary: With Exclusive Cross-Sections
Hidalgo, Pablo
Hardcover
The 'Reel' Hollywood: The San Fernando Valley - A Century of Filmmaking and Filmmakers
Cooper, Martin M.
Paperback
Alfred Hitchcock All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Benoliel, Bernard
Esposito, Gilles
Joudet, Murielle
Hardcover
Hollywood: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie L.A.
Alleman, Richard
Paperback
The Companion Guide to the Godfather Trilogy: Betrayal, Loyalty, and Family
Spence, Karen M.
Hardcover
Filmlandia!: A Movie Lover's Guide to the Films and Television of Seattle, Portland, and the Great Northwest
Schmader, David
Paperback
The Age of Disclosure: Inside The True Story Of UFO Secrecy, Cover-Ups, And The Quest for Answers
Brady, Andrew
Paperback
From Tailors with Love (hardback): An Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films
Spaiser, Matt
Brooker, Peter
Hardcover
Producer to Producer 2nd Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent Film Producing
Ryan, Maureen
Paperback
Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
Schaller, Nicolas
Bousquet, Olivier
Devillard, Arnaud
Hardcover
The Ghibliotheque Anime Movie Guide: The Essential Guide to Japanese Animated Cinema
Cunningham, Jake
Leader, Michael
Hardcover
The Making of Wicked: The Amazafying Behind-The-Scenes Magic of the Films Wicked & Wicked: For Good
Bennett, Tara
Hardcover
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide: The Modern Era, Previously Published as Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide
Maltin, Leonard
Paperback
Bringing Song and Dance to the Screen: Directors of Golden Age Hollywood Musicals
Hischak, Thomas
Hardcover
98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die: Remarkable Films and TV Shows to Discuss Death and Plan Ahead
Rubin, Gail
Paperback
Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters: Fully Revised & Updated
Skipper, Graham
Ltd, Toho Co
Hardcover
Ghiblipedia: A Bite-Sized Guide to the Creatures, Characters and Creators of Studio Ghibli
Leader, Michael
Cunningham, Jake
Hardcover
But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films
Lopez, Kristen
Hardcover
All the Right Movies: The Stories and Secrets Behind the Making of 25 Iconic Films
Barker, John
Hardcover
Producer to Producer -3rd Edition: A Step- By- Step Guide to Low Budget Independent Film Producing
Ryan, Maureen A.
Paperback
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film
Morton, Ray
Paperback
The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark
Elder, Robert K.
Paperback
Complete Guide to Film Scoring - 3rd Edition: The Art and Business of Writing Music for Movies and TV
Alison Plante
Davis, Richard
Paperback
A Hundred Years of Japanese Film: A Concise History, with a Selective Guide to DVDs and Videos
Richie, Donald
Paperback
Soviet Propaganda on American Screens: An Amkino Pictures Filmography, 1926-1940
Pitts, Michael R.
Paperback
The Screen Chills Companion, 1940-1946: Films of the Golden Age of Hollywood Horror
Fellner, Chris
Paperback
The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them
Parke, Henry C.
True West Magazine
Paperback
Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff: A Miscellany of Fantastic Films from the Past 50 Years (Movie Trivia, Film Trivia, Film History)
Mental Floss
Wood, Jennifer M.
Hardcover
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Making of the Classic Film
Tenuto, Maria Jose
Tenuto, John
Hardcover
The Documentary Filmmaking Master Class (Second Edition): Tell Your Story from Concept to Distribution
Chasse, Betsy
Paperback