Bushido By Night - LE SAMOURAÏ (1967)

In this week's episode, yours hosts turn to a seminal work in the noir tradition, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï (1967), in which a nocturnal hitman prowls  France's City of Lights in a desperate bid for survival against the forces that seek to erase his shadow. It is a notable intersection of world histories and mythologies, particularly that of the eponymous, Japanese samurai, whose code of honor preaches the importance of a stoicism akin to a tiger in a jungle. As Alain Delon's Jef Costello ricochets across the concrete trappings of Paris, Erich and Krishiv discuss the slick camera work, genre tendencies, and understated performances that imbue this outing with such singular character, while investigating its remarkable, postmodern place in film history. Join them as they put on their detective raincoats, channeling downtown city rhythms and jazz music in club halls all the while, and dive into the mystery!

David Thomson's Essay: Death in White Gloves