American Gigolo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| American Gigolo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Paul Schrader |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer |
| Written by | Paul Schrader |
| Starring | Richard Gere Lauren Hutton Hector Elizondo Nina Van Pallandt Bill Duke |
| Music by | Giorgio Moroder |
| Cinematography | John Bailey |
| Editing by | Richard Halsey |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 8, 1980 |
| Running time | 117 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4,800,000[citation needed] |
| Gross revenue | $22,743,674 (domestic) [1] |
American Gigolo is a 1980 thriller film, written and directed by Paul Schrader. Schrader based the film on French director Robert Bresson's Pickpocket (1959). It is also (informally) considered the second installment in his "night workers" trilogy, following Taxi Driver (1976) and preceding Light Sleeper (1992).
Contents |
[edit] Tagline
His business is pleasure!
He's the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills. He leaves women feeling more alive than they've ever felt before. Except one.
[edit] Plot
Julian Kaye (Richard Gere), is a male prostitute in Los Angeles whose job supports his expensive tastes in cars, stereophonic equipment, and clothes. He is, at times, blatantly narcissistic and superficial; however, he openly claims to take some pleasure in his work from being able to sexually satisfy women.
When on an assignment for his primary procuress, Anne (Nina Van Pallandt), he meets Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton), the unhappy wife of a local politician, who becomes interested in him. Julian's other pimp, Leon (Bill Duke), sends him to the house of a financier, who asks Julian to physically abuse and copulate with his wife while he watches them.
Later, Julian learns that the financier's wife was murdered. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo) investigates Julian as a primary suspect. Though he was with another client on the night of the murder, the client refuses to give Julian an alibi, to protect her and her husband's reputations.
As Julian's relationship with Michelle deepens, suspicion of the murder mounts against him. He soon realizes that he is being framed and grows increasingly desperate. His decline is visually represented by a degeneration in style as his clothes become rumpled, he goes unshaven, and he even rents a cheap commuter car after his Mercedes has been tampered with.
Julian finally confronts Leon, who confesses that one of the other, younger gigolos who works for him had killed the wealthy man's wife, and Leon had conceived the plan to frame Julian. After an argument, Julian accidentally pushes Leon over the apartment balcony and he falls to his death.
With no one to help him, Julian ends up in jail, awaiting trial for the murder. However, when all seems lost, Michelle risks her reputation and that of her husband to provide Julian with the alibi that can save him from prison.
[edit] Soundtrack
For further info see American Gigolo (soundtrack).
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- American Gigolo at the Internet Movie Database
- American Gigolo at Allmovie
- American Gigolo at Box Office Mojo
- American Gigolo at Rotten Tomatoes
|
||||||||||||||
