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| “ | I never lose. Never really. | „ |
| ~ Jef Costello |
| “ | Gunman: Nothing to say? Jef Costello: Not with a gun on me. Gunman: Is that a principle? Jef Costello: A habit. |
„ |
Jef Costello is the main villain of the 1967 Italian-French film Le samouraï.
Jef is an intelligent, manipulative, pragmatic and honorable contract assassin who follows his own code and suffers from severe loneliness.
He is portayed by the late Alain Delon who also played Hugo Sennart.
Biography[]
Although Jef manages to escape the police and maintain his anonymity, his job is not without risks. The people who ordered his murders, fearing that he could become a threat, try to eliminate him to prevent the investigations from revealing their involvement. Jef therefore finds himself hunted on two fronts: on one side, the police who want to capture him; on the other, his own clients who want him dead.
His ability to escape from any danger makes him almost invincible, but he cannot escape fate forever. His end, as inevitable as it is tragic, is marked by his constant race to survive, a man who ultimately cannot escape his own life.
The last assignment that Jef receives is to kill the pianist Valérie, a person who, despite having seen his crime, protects him. When he goes to the nightclub to commit the murder, he finds himself facing the police in an ambush. His death (or capture, depending on the interpretation) comes in a dramatic turn of events: the police discover that the gun he was about to kill Valérie with is unloaded, a gesture that could represent his final act of disobedience or refusal to complete the murder.
His death, or capture, marks the end of a man who chose a life of solitude, precision and violence, but who ultimately could not escape the consequences of his actions. Jef Costello remains a symbol of the professional killer, a man who lives by his own code, but who is destined to perish in an unforgiving world.
Personality[]
Jef is solitary, disciplined, cold, calm, strategic, relentless, emotionless, a professional murderer for hire, specialized in eliminating targets with precision and without leaving a trace. Every job he accepts is planned down to the smallest detail: the timing, the type of weapon, the escape route, and above all, the creation of an airtight alibi. His ability to remain in the shadows and operate undetected is what makes him feared and respected in his field.
One of Jef's distinctive traits is his ability to construct perfect alibis. His every move is calculated so as to never leave any traces that could link him to the crime. He uses the people at his disposal, such as his partner Jane Lagrange, to confirm his position at crucial moments. His ability to deceive the police and play psychological games with witnesses and investigators is what allows him to remain free, despite the constant pursuit of the law. Despite his life of murder and deception, Jef is a deeply solitary man. He has no family ties and his interactions with the world are minimal, limited to those necessary for his work. He does not seek friendships or affection, preferring to live a life of isolation in which every move is planned and every relationship is purely functional to his goal.
This emotional detachment makes him an enigmatic character and difficult to understand. Even in the most critical moments, such as when the pianist Valérie protects him after seeing him commit a crime, Jef shows no sign of gratitude or emotion. He is a man who acts coldly, never allowing himself to be influenced by feelings.
Jef's approach to crime is that of a craftsman: each murder is a work that requires patience, perfection and attention to detail. His emotional coldness and ability to remain impassive even in the most dangerous situations make him an extremely effective killer, but also a deeply isolated man.
Quotes[]
| “ | [hitman enters the room of the bar owner] Martey, Nightclub Owner: Who are you? Jef Costello: Doesn't matter. Martey, Nightclub Owner: What do you want? Jef Costello: To kill you. [shoots him] |
„ |
| ~ Jef killing the nightclub owner |
| “ | Jef Costello: Who sent you? Gunman: I can't tell you that. Jef Costello: Yet you could try to kill me. Look at me. I'll ask you just once more. Who? Name and address. Gunman: You don't know him; he's not in our league. Jef Costello: Don't keep me waiting. Gunman: Olivier Rey... 73, Boulevard de Montmorency. Jef Costello: That's how you became unemployed. |
„ |
| ~ Jeff interrogation |
| “ | [pulls a gun on her, she just looks disappointed] Valérie: Why Jef? Jef Costello: I've been paid to. |
„ |
| ~ Jef to Valerie |
| “ | Jef Costello: Why did you say you didn't recognize me? Valérie: Why did you kill Martey? Jef Costello: I was told I'd be paid. Valérie: What did he do to you? Jef Costello: Nothing at all. I didn't even know him. The first and last time I saw him was 24 hours ago. [pause] Valérie: What sort of man are you? |
„ |
| ~ Valerie to Jef |
| “ | Trouble?... Because of me? | „ |
| ~ Jef to Jane |
Gallery[]
