Remembering Peter Brunette
By June 23, 2010
Sitting on a hard drive here in the office is the unedited footage of an interview we shot . . . Read more »
Film Info
- France
- 1960
- 81 minutes
- Black and White
- 2.35:1
- French
- Spine #315
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 |
Disc Features
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
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