Tirez sur le pianiste (1960)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

David Goodis (novel)
François Truffaut (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 July 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Romance | Crime

Plot:

Charlie Kohler is a piano player in a bar. The waitress Lena is in love with him. One of Charlie's brother...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Gangster | Pianist | Suicide | Conversation With Character Playing Piano

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laure Paillette	...	La mère (uncredited)
Alice Sapritch	...	Concierge (uncredited)

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits
David Goodis		(novel "Down There")
François Truffaut		(adaptation) (as F. Truffaut) and
Marcel Moussy		(adaptation)
François Truffaut		(dialogue)

Produced by
Pierre Braunberger	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Raoul Coutard

Film Editing by
Claudine Bouché
Cécile Decugis

Production Design by
Jacques Mély		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jacqueline Pipard	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Serge Komor	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Bober	....	assistant director
Francis Cognany	....	assistant director
Bjorn Johansen	....	assistant director (as Björn Johansen)

Sound Department
Jacques Gallois	....	sound
Jean Philippe	....	assistant sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Claude Beausoleil	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Raymond Cauchetier	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jean-Louis Malige	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Other crew
Luce Deuss	....	production secretary
Roger Fleytoux	....	administrator
Suzanne Schiffman	....	script girl

Production Companies

• Les Films de la Pléiade

Distributors

• Cocinor (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Gala Film Distributors (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Fox Lorber (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Éditions (2002) (France) (DVD) (special edition)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (2003) (Korea) (DVD)
• AV Channel (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Jerand Film Distributors (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Meridian-Films (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• MK2 Productions (????) (France) (all media) (remastered)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• WinStar Cinema (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Philips  record company: "Dialogue d'Amoureux"
• Royalty  music published by
• Tutti  music publisher: "Dialogue d'Amoureux"

Also Known As:

Shoot the Pianist (UK)
Shoot the Piano Player (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

UK:80 min | USA:92 min | Finland:82 min (1963) | Argentina:85 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White (Dyaliscope)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | France:U | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Grenoble, Isère, France

Company:

Les Films de la Pléiade

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Lena and Charlie walk home after work you can see the shadow of the camera on their coats.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Une femme est une femme (1961)

Soundtrack:

Dialogue d'Amoureux

*** 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.