Shoot the Pianist (1960)
"Tirez sur le pianiste" (original title)

Charlie Kohler is a piano player in a bar. The waitress Lena is in love with him. One of Charlie's brother, Chico, a crook, takes refuge in the bar because he is chased by two gangsters, ... See full summary »

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

David Goodis (novel), François Truffaut (adaptation),

Stars:

Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Aznavour	...	Charlie Kohler / Edouard Saroyan
Marie Dubois	...	Léna
Nicole Berger	...	Thérèse Saroyan
Michèle Mercier	...	Clarisse
Serge Davri	...	Plyne
Claude Mansard	...	Momo
Richard Kanayan	...	Fido Saroyan (as Le jeune Richard Kanayan)
Albert Rémy	...	Chico Saroyan
Jean-Jacques Aslanian	...	Richard Saroyan
Daniel Boulanger	...	Ernest
Claude Heymann	...	Lars Schmeel
Alex Joffé	...	Passerby
Boby Lapointe	...	Le chanteur
Catherine Lutz	...	Mammy

Storyline

Charlie Kohler is a piano player in a bar. The waitress Lena is in love with him. One of Charlie's brother, Chico, a crook, takes refuge in the bar because he is chased by two gangsters, Momo and Ernest. We will discover that Charlie's real name is Edouard Saroyan, once a virtuose who gives up after his wife's suicide. Charlie now has to deal wih Chico, Ernest, Momo, Fido (his youngest brother who lives with him), and Lena...

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Plot Keywords:

brother | gangster | bar | suicide | pianist | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

23 July 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shoot the Piano Player

Filming Locations:

Grenoble, Isère, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films de la Pléiade

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 82 min (1963)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (Dyaliscope)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As Charlie, Lena and the two kidnappers are driving down the road, a truck in front of them bears a large "Cahiers du Cinema" sign. Director François Truffaut wrote for "Cahiers" and dedicated The 400 blows, another one of his films, to its founder, Andre Bazin.

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Goofs

When Lena and Charlie walk home after work you can see the shadow of the camera on their coats.

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Quotes

Momo: My pop used to say, "If someone knocks, assume it's a murderer. If it's just a robber, you'll be happy."

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Connections

Featured in Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Framboise"
Written by Boby Lapointe
Music by Boby Lapointe
Performed by Boby Lapointe

User Reviews

*** 1/2 out of ****

Truffaut's homage to the American gangster film stars Charles Aznavour as a smalltime piano player in a bar who has a secret past that he keeps hidden. The film almost falls into the trap of not being an homage to the gangster film, but rather being one itself. What saves it is the film's unique wit and charm - it's a blend of humor, romance, and gangster film. The gangsters themselves are quite funny, casually discussing everyday matters in a way that certainly had to influence Quentin Tarantino when he was writing Pulp Fiction. Some of the jokes are funny just because they are so silly (i.e., the gangster swearing his truth on his mother's grave). It's this sense of humor and the fact that the movie doesn't take itself seriously that sets it apart from other gangster movies of the day.