Samouraï, Le (1967) review

Modern-day samurai with his own code of ethics (Alain Delon, absolutely brilliant in an intense performance) kills a club owner for money, but finds himself double-crossed and chased after by the police. Melville's technique is impeccable - no shot goes wasted - and the sequence in which Delon gets chased through the Parisian Metro system is a career moment for the director, just as breathtaking as the robbery in Le Circle Rouge. The title character's actions are not always plausible - why not ditch the raincoat or sneak around not to get caught? - but that keeps with the theme of the picture and the story of a man who exists 'only in what he does' (it's also tempting to read the final shot, in which he sports an empty pistol, as a form of seppuku). The film is often regarded as 'existentialist,' which is as good an adjective as I can come up with - along with the Ryan O'Neal's character in The Driver, the two could be considered 'Sons of Meursault.' (If you don't know who Meursault is, you should probably read more.)