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• August 19, 2008
• Screen Shot

Smooth Criminal: Alain Delon in Le Samourai

By Sarah Maher

In Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 French Neo-noir film Le Samourai, Alain Delon plays a solitary assassin with a meticulous New Wave hit-man style. With monochromatic, masculine chic, Jef attempts to outsmart double-crossing underworld criminals while remaining one cool customer.

Contemplating his next move after being shot, the emotionless anti-hero doesn't flinch. Jef Costello merely binds the wound, takes a deep drag on his Gitane, and dresses in a simple, sexy white t.shirt to compliment his cool inner turmoil and gray flannel pants.



With his laconic, ice blue eyes, chiseled features and solemn demeanor, Jef stalks the streets of Paris to a jazzy 1960's nightclub soundtrack in a palette of grey, black and white, cutting a striking figure as a subtle samurai gangster; white shirt cuffs precisely tailored, trenchcoat collar is expertly upturned, and a slick, black tie is knotted flawlessly under a razor-sharp minimalist suit.



For a touch of the classic French criminal's sang-froid, slip into 3.33's black Hugh shoes, Band of Outsiders black tie, sharp suiting from Raf by Raf Simons, a classic white shirt by Surface 2 Air , the Officer's lace-up boot in black by Common Projects, and a Silver Lapel Pin by Cerre. To top it all off, forget the cheap imitations, and head to D/L Cerney for the the slickest chapeaus in town. For more of the enigmatic Alain Delon, make sure you catch Film Forum's film noir series "The French Crime Wave" through Sept 11th.