a review of 独行杀手

2019 Cult Movie Challenge Week 46: Film Noir Week This one was great, although to be perfectly honest I was a bit disappointed not to see more of a direct line between Delon's characterization of his cool, efficient hitman Jef Costello and that of Forest Whitaker in Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. I know that Jarmusch specifically took certain details as inspiration for his film, e.g. the giant ring of car keys that Jef uses to steal an automobile early on, and the generally depressing nature of Jef's dingy grey apartment in spite of his status as a well-paid professional. So I was surprised to see that in spite of the title, Delon's performance stays very much in the lines of what one might expect from a stock assassin character instead of the Quixotic extremes that Whitaker goes to in Ghost Dog. Apparently, Melville's interest in Japanese martial mythology only extended as far as the title and the opening epigram, which is perhaps for the best. Looking back on the film now, it seems clear that although it feels perhaps somewhat influenced by the early James Bond 007 films, ultimately it and other French New Wave thrillers became a bigger influence on the Bond franchise, especially in the current Daniel Craig run of the character.