Search - Shoot the Piano Player on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence Movie Release: 1960 DVD Release: 05/18/1999 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 24 mins Studio: Fox Lorber Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Comedy Drama, Melodrama, Post-Noir (Modern Noir), Crime Drama See Also: Shoot the Piano Player [Criterion Collection]

François Truffaut's loving homage to Hollywood gangster films is less a plot-filled film noir than a free-associative meditation on the genre. Charles Aznavour stars as a one-time concert pianist who gained fame as Edouard Saroyan but has since changed his name to Charlie Kohler and plays honky-tonk in an out-of-the-way saloon. His self-imposed exile is shattered by the appearance of his mobster brother Richard Saroyan (Jacques Aslanian). Richard and his other brother, Chico (Albert Remy), are on the lam from gangsters they've double-crossed. Charlie helps Richard and Chico get away, but he now finds that his life, along with his younger brother Fido's (Richard Kanayan, has been put into jeopardy, having gotten mixed up with gangsters Momo (Claude Mansard) and Ernest (Daniel Boulanger) who are pursuing Richard and Chico. Momo and Ernest keep an eye on Charlie's apartment and, although they don't get Fido, they manage to kidnap Charlie and Lena (Marie Dubois), a co-worker with whom he has fallen in love. But when Ernest runs a red light and is pulled over, Charlie and Lena escape the gangsters' clutches. They take refuge in Lena's apartment, where Charlie sees a poster for a performance by Edouard Saroyan, causing Charlie to think back upon the circumstances that had led him to this moment in his life. Lena and Charlie make love, and Charlie returns to his apartment, only to discover Fido has been kidnapped. Lena and Charlie then head back to his club, where they plan to quit their jobs and try to find Fido. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Charles Aznavour - Edouard Saroyan/Charlie Kohler
Nicole Berger - Theresa
Marie Dubois - Lena
Michele Mercier - Clarisse
Albert Remy - Chico Saroyan

François Truffaut's sophomore effort, Shoot the Piano Player, comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The French soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English subtitles are accessible. The picture is placed higher on the screen so that the white credits appear entirely in the dark section below the image. Supplemental materials include filmographies for the cast members, and a collection of trailers for other Truffaut films including The 400 Blows, Jules and Jim, The Last Metro, and five more. While this disc could have more extras on it, what is here is good and the sound and picture quality are solid. This is a worthwhile disc for any cinema enthusiast. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide