Le Samouraï

Le Samouraï (1967)

Le Samouraï (also known as The Godson, though it's rarely translated in English due to the easily understood French title) is a cult 1967 neo-noir film by French master of the genre Jean-Pierre Melville. This film established a neo-noir movement distinct from classic film-noir and inspired many films in different ways. Two films are even considered to be unofficial remakes: John Woo's The Killer and Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, though they are considered genre classics by themselves.

The film stars Alain Delon as a loner, meditative assassin, whose principles make him behave as a medieval samurai. He is double-crossed by police and mafia, and tries to understand why pianist girl Valerie (Cathy Rosier), who witnessed him leaving Marty's cabinet after the assassination, pretended that she didn't recognize him while talking to the police.

NOTE: SPOILERS

The following weapons were used in the film Le Samouraï:

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Jef Costello (Alain Delon) works as an assassin and uses Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers provided to him by garage keeper (André Salgues), who also changes number plates on Citroen DS cars stolen by Jef using huge ring of keys. We see such a scene two times in the movie and it's hinted that it's become a routine for both.

The First One

Smith & Wesson Model M&P Revolver - .38 Special.

The first revolver given to Jef by garage keeper used by him to kill "Marty's" bar owner Marty (played by an unknown actor). He shoots him three times and then tosses the revolver, after also using it as a weapon when the blonde gunman (Jacques Leroy) tries to kill him on a bridge.

Jef examines his revolver after receiving it from garage keeper.

Jef (in stylish white gloves) aims his revolver at Marty.

Jef fires his revolver at Marty.

The Second

Smith & Wesson Model M&P Revolver - .38 Special. Features a different sight than the one in the movie.

The second revolver given to Jef by the garage keeper (who tells him that it's their last case) differs slightly (different sight) and is used to kill a mysterious gangster named Olivier Rey (Jean-Pierre Posier), who's behind the previous assassinations. He, as usual, fires at Rey three times. This revolver also plays significant role in the ending.

Jef aims his revolver at Rey.

Jef fires his revolver at Olivier Rey, who was about to kill him with his own revolver.

File:Le samourai costello second revolver3.jpg

The third shot. Note that Delon doesn't close his eyes fully. His skill with weapons is likely due to his army experience.

Jef examines his revolver in the car before his last visit in "Marty's".

Close-up of the bullets.

Jef dies, holding his revolver next to his heart.

One of the police inspectors opens the revolver...

...revealing that there was no reason to actually shoot Jef, and it was more like honorable samurai suicide than an assassination attempt.

M1911

Original Colt M1911 (dated 1913) - .45 ACP

Blonde Gunman's weapon of choice is an original M1911 first issued to the U.S. Military during WWI. He aims it at Jef in the iconic scene while talking about Jef's next case. Perhaps he also wounded Jef's arm with the same weapon during the bridge shootout. Jef disarms the gunman and aims it on the blonde man to find out the identity of Olivier Rey and his home address.

Gunman aims his M1911 at Jef.

Gunman aims his M1911 at Jef. You can clearly see many details of the gun in this shot.

Gunman aims his M1911 on Jef, while he's sitting like nothing's happened. Iconic shot.

Even more iconic shot, used in American VHS cover art.

Jef threatens Gunman with his own M1911.

File:Le samourai m1911 7.jpg

Gunman sitting, beaten and tied to a chair while his M1911 is lying on Jef's bed (tossed by Jef himself), thus indicating that Jef knows that he'll never return to his apartment.

Hard to recognize Detective Snub style revolvers

There are many Detective Snub style revolvers in this movie used by Marty, Olivier Rey and the police inspectors. All of these guns are out-of-focus, or there's other circumstances (such as typical-for-noir minimalist lighting), which makes them difficult to recognize. It's possible that Marty's and Rey's revolvers are the same prop.