François Truffaut is drunk on the possibilities of cinema in this, his most playful film. Part thriller, part comedy, part tragedy, Shoot the Piano Player relates the adventures of mild-mannered piano player Charlie (Charles Aznavour, in a triumph of hangdog deadpan) as he stumbles into the criminal underworld and a whirlwind love affair. Loaded with gags, guns, clowns, and thugs, this razor-sharp homage to the American gangster film is pure nouvelle vague.
Cast
| Charlie Koller/Edouard Saroyan | Charles Aznavour |
| Léna | Marie Dubois |
| Thérésa Saroyan | Nicole Berger |
| Clarisse | Michèle Mercier |
| Plyne | Serge Davri |
| Momo | Claude Mansard |
| Ernest | Daniel Boulanger |
| Richard Saroyan | Jean-Jacques Aslanian |
| Fido Saroyan | Richard Kanayan |
| Lars Schmeel | Claude Heymann |
| Chico Saroyan | Albert Remy |
Credits
| Director | François Truffaut |
| Cinematography | Raoul Coutard |
| Editing | Claudine Bouché and Cécile Decugis |
| From the novel “Down There” by | David Goodis |
| Adaptation by | François Truffaut and Marcel Moussy |
| Producer | Pierre Braunberger |
| Music | Georges Delerue |
| Sound | Jacques Gallois |
| Production supervisor | Serge Komor |
| Production manager | Roger Fleytoux |
| Script girl | Suzanne Schiffman |
SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Raoul Coutard
- Audio commentary by film scholars Annette Insdorf and Peter Brunette
- Exclusive new video interviews with actors Charles Aznavour and Marie Dubois and director of photography Raoul Coutard
- Rare interview with François Truffaut collaborator Suzanne Schiffman
- Two documentary excerpts featuring Truffaut on the film and the source novel
- The Music of George Delerue, an illustrated audioessay
- Dubois’ screen test
- Theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- Plus: a 28-page booklet featuring film critic Kent Jones, an interview with Truffaut, and the director on Aznavour and Dubois
by Kent Jones
Dec 5, 2005
Recently, I was talking with a group of friends, and somehow the subject turned to great directors we found overrated. At a certain point, someone mentioned François Truffaut. I just don’t get it, my colleague said, referring to the tonnage of praise heaped on Truffaut throughout his short life . . .
by David Ehrenstein
Sep 5, 1988
When Francois Truffaut’s first feature The 400 Blows made its debut in 1959, critics the world over hailed its low-key semidocumentary style in telling its tale of a troubled, melancholy youth. You can imagine then the confusion these same critics felt the next year when confronted with . . .
