12. Tracing The Trench Coat: The Dance Between Our Origins of Inspiration & Creative Individuality

A love letter from Adam Abdou to Le Samouraï (1967)

Hello, Le Samouraï, mon amour,

I have learned a great deal from you: I’ll never look as good as Alain Delon in a trench coat - not particularly surprising, the surreal can still be grounded and feel real, however what most sticks out is always imparting one’s individual interpretation toward what inspires us.

I have explored much of, and greatly enjoyed, the classic Noir genre, and when one watches Le Samouraï you experience an homage to this world of cinema, yet there is this sensual twang, a surreal aspect lingering in the air, a distinct flare of individuality which makes the story entirely original, something I’ve never seen before.

How slowly, how methodically you unfold, allows us to be a part of this world and in turn entirely succumb to your distinct reality. While I quite literally sat before you, I felt as if I were there too, and it is because of this that the extraordinary simply felt, ordinary.

Yet the secret ingredient remains, individuality. Without the Melville spice, you simply would be a cover, the ever lasting trend of recreation. But by god, the spark of Melville turns this into magic, as with all of your.....siblings I suppose, distant cousins - the magnificent repertoire of Jean-Pierre Melville.

I find this to be a valuable lesson in life. To mimic does us a great disservice, admittedly this is a tricky pattern to avoid, but if we can take a step back, slow down and analyze the construction of our creation, if the architecture is an exact replica a fresh start may be needed. However, if we can create something new from where our inspiration led our curiosity, that is pretty darn special and allows a new facet to our creative endeavors.

Thanks to you, Le Samouraï, I view films, and life, very differently. If a particular film really stands out to me, leaves me floored and spellbound, I need to know what inspired this, what new world have I not been exposed to that cultivated the winds toward the creation of the picture I just experienced? How will these pieces catalyze my mind? Maybe it is something as simple as trying on a trench coat, thinking “better of it, back on the rack,” but the use is irrelevant, the fact that a new door of possibility has been opened is what I find so special, and who knows, maybe somewhere way down the line a trench coat may be fitting for a character, if it is, I know where it came from.

My many thanks, Le Samouraï
Adam

About Adam

Hello,

I’m Adam Abdou and I love stories, in particular those of the cinematic realm. I never fail to be amazed by the many places stories can take us. I adore watching movies, and when the opportunity presents itself, being a part of making them.