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...
