VINTAGE FILM Le Samouraï (The Samurai)

Melville’s neo-noir classic has a few things in common with the VFA winner for 1966, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: It was filmed in Europe, features a laconic anti-hero, has continuing influence (most recently on Drive), and was nominated for absolutely nothing when it came out 50 years earlier. Of the two VFA-shortlisted 1966 films rocking a “100% fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes (Cool Hand Luke is the other), Le Samouraï is the only one Madonna ever sang about.