Man on Fire (1987)

Director:

Élie Chouraqui

Writers:

A.J. Quinnell (novel)
Élie Chouraqui (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 September 1987 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Action

Tagline:

For an ex-CIA agent, the job of bodyguard for a twelve-year old girl should have been a breeze...

Plot:

An ex-CIA agent is hired to protect the daughter of a rich American family. |

Plot Keywords:

Agent | Friendship | Murder | CIA | Girl

Cast

Scott Glenn	...	Creasy
Jade Malle	...	Samantha / Sam
Joe Pesci	...	David
Brooke Adams	...	Jane
Jonathan Pryce	...	Michael
Paul Shenar	...	Ettore
Danny Aiello	...	Conti
Laura Morante	...	Julia
Giancarlo Prati	...	Satta
Inigo Lezzi	...	Bellu
Alessandro Haber	...	Sandri
Franco Trevisi	...	Rabbia
Lou Castel	...	Violente
Lorenzo Piani	...	Bruno
Giuseppe Cederna	...	Snake
Giovanni Mauriello	...	Elio
Frederica Tatulli	...	Elio's Wife
Anita Zagaria	...	Conti's Wife
Enrica Rosso	...	Maria
Anna Guerrieri	...	Nurse
Angela Finocchiaro	...	Foot Race Pro
Giovanni Visentin	...	Marco
James Braddell	...	School Guard (as James Bradell)
Enrico Papa	...	Claudio
Luigi Mezzanotte	...	Kidnapper
Piero Vida	...	Kidnapper
Antoine Rebb	...	Man in Porno Theater (as Antoine Reb)
Alexandre Lopez	...	Man on Street
Alessandro Spadorcia	...	Man on Street
Henri-Charles Alexandre	...	Young Killer
Luca Orlandini	...	Boy at Party (as Lucas Orlandini)
Martine Malle	...	Prostitute
Marie Sellers	...	Prostitute
Antonio Petrocelli	...	Policeman
Fabio Bussotti	...	Policeman
Manfredi Aliquo	...	Policeman
Leonardo Petrillo	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edwin Francis	...	Man on Street (uncredited)

Directed by
Élie Chouraqui

Writing credits
A.J. Quinnell		(novel "Man On Fire")
Élie Chouraqui		(screenplay) and
Sergio Donati		(screenplay)
Fabrice Ziolkowski		(translation) uncredited

Produced by
Robert Benmussa	....	associate producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer

Original Music by
John Scott

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Noëlle Boisson		(as Noelle Boisson)

Art Direction by
Giantito Burchiellaro

Set Decoration by
Bruno Amalfitano

Costume Design by
Alberte Barsacq

Makeup Department
Vittorio Biseo	....	makeup artist
Desideria Corridoni	....	hair stylist
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	chief hairdresser
Manlio Rocchetti	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Steven Hirsch	....	executive in charge of production
Tullio Lullo	....	production manager
Claudio Mancini	....	executive in charge of production
Walter Massi	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacques Eberhard	....	third assistant director
Inigo Lezzi	....	first assistant director
Serge Pescetelli	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mauro Borrelli	....	assistant art director
Nello Cappelli	....	property man
Giovanni Fiumi	....	property man
Maria Sabina Segatori	....	assistant art director
Luigi Urbani	....	assistant art director
Paul Byers	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Antonio Murer	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jean-François Auger	....	dubbing sound engineer (as Jean-François Auger {Paris})
Riza Aydin	....	assistant recording mixer
Jocelyne Cartier-Stern	....	assistant dubbing editor (as Jocelyne Cartier-Sterin)
Eric Devulder	....	boom operator
Jean Duguet	....	sound effects engineer
Paul Friedmann	....	dubbing sound engineer: New York
Michel Kharat	....	dubbing sound engineer (as Michel Kharat {Paris})
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Bernard Leroux	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jacques Lévy	....	dubbing editor (as Jacques Levy)
Eric Mauer	....	assistant sound editor
Françoise Maulny	....	assistant dubbing editor
Mario Melchiorri	....	sound effects assistant
Martine Mory	....	dialogue editor
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound editor
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound recordist
Claude Villand	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Renato Agostini	....	special effects
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects
Rémy Julienne	....	special effects: cement truck (as Remy Julienne)

Stunts
Riccardo Mioni	....	stuntman (as Ricardo Mioni)
Sergio Mioni	....	stunts
Rémy Julienne	....	cement truck stunt (uncredited)
Sergio Mioni	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Stefano Maria Mioni	....	stunts (uncredited)
Angelo Ragusa	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adelchi Azzano	....	electrician
Eraldo Barbona	....	grip
Bruno Brenna	....	electrician
Gianni Caramanico	....	still photographer (as Giovanni Caramanico)
Aldo Colanzi	....	key grip
Vittorio Contino	....	generator operator
Roberto Diamanti	....	grip
Gianni Gentili	....	electrician
Stefano Guidi	....	first assistant operator
Luciano Marrocchi	....	electrician
Pierluigi Praturlon	....	still photographer (as Pierluigi Praturion)
Marco Santarelli	....	grip
Spartaco Sardini	....	electrician
Antonio Scaramuzza	....	second assistant operator
Mario Schiavone	....	gaffer
Giuseppe Sciusco	....	electrician
Carlo Tafani	....	camera operator
Angelo Tiberti	....	grip
Giovanni Vino	....	still photographer
Fabrizio Ancillai	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Marco Sacerdoti	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paolo Tiberti	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Claman	....	casting: America
Daniele Luchetti	....	casting: Italy

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Enrica Barbano	....	wardrobe assistant
Mario Ferroni	....	wardrobe
Bertilla Silvestrin	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Fabienne Alvarez-Giro	....	second crew editor (as Fabienne Alvarez)
Catherine Blocus	....	assistant editor
Roberto Garzelli	....	assistant editor
Joëlle Hache	....	second crew editor (as Joelle Hache)
Michèle Hollander	....	first assistant editor (as Michele Hollander)
Anne Mangand	....	assistant editor (as Anne Manigand)
Fabrizio Palmisano	....	assistant editor
Corinne Rozenberg	....	assistant editor
Agnès Schwab	....	assistant editor (as Agnes Schwab)

Music Department
Peter Kramper	....	music recording mixer
John Scott	....	conductor

Other crew
Giorgio Catalano	....	accountant
Alberto De Stefani	....	accountant
Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco	....	production assistant (as Fabio Massimo Dell'Orca)
Carole Fevre	....	script supervisor
Maria Fiorito	....	cashier
Xavier Giannoli	....	production assistant
Roberto Malerba	....	production assistant
Alessandro Mancini	....	production assistant
Thierry Meunier	....	production assistant
Arnon Milchan	....	presenter
Renata Paccariè	....	production secretary (as Renata Paccarie)
Chantal Peyrieras	....	production secretary
Shneor Ratzkowsky	....	production coordinator (as Shneor Ratkovsky)
Frederique Sacuto	....	accountant
Enzo Sisti	....	accountant
Antonella Villanti	....	cashier
Fabrice Ziolkowski	....	dialogue coach
Maria Fiorito	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Frans J. Afman	....	special thanks (as Frans Afman)
Dante Catalano	....	special thanks: Cineconsult - Rome
Leon C. Janks	....	special thanks: Alder, Green & Hasson - Los Angeles

Production Companies

• 7 Films Cinéma (as A Sept Films Cima Produzioni Production)
• Cima Produzioni (as A Sept Films Cima Produzioni Production)
• France 3 Cinéma

Distributors

• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1988) (Finland) (theatrical)
• TriStar Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1989) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1989) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  special thanks (as Albert G. Ruben and Co. Inc.)
• Alder, Green & Hasson  special thanks
• Arredamenti Cineteatrali G.R.P.  sets (as GRP Arredamenti Cineatrali)
• Assotecnica Romana Gruppi Elettrogeni  lighting equipment
• Audio 24/25  recording (as Audio 24-25 Paris)
• Authorities of the city of Rome  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as the authorities of the city of Rome)
• Bavaria Musik-Studios  music recorded at (as Bavaria Musik Studios)
• CIAK Italia  camera equipment (as Ciack Italia)
• Cinecittà  post production
• Cineconsult S.p.a.  special thanks (as Cineconsult - Rome)
• Cinefonico  recording (as Cinefonico Rome)
• Dedaco  sets
• Eastman Kodak Company  film stock (as Eastman Kodacolor)
• Entertainment Business Division of Credit Lyonnais Bank Nederland, The  special thanks
• Euro-Titres  titles and optical effects
• Filminger Grafici  freight transport
• Fireman's Fund Insurance Co.  special thanks (as Fireman's Fund Insurance Companies)
• Italian Government  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as the Italian Government)
• L'Immaginoteca  sets
• Magno Sound  dubbing
• New Regency Films  special thanks
• Poltrone Frau  sets (as Poltrona Frau S.P.A.)
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs (as Rocchetti & Carboni)
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  transportation (as Romana Trasporti Cinematografica)
• Studio Philippe Sarde  re-recording (as Studio Philippe Sarde Paris)
• Studios de Billancourt  dubbing (as Paris-Studios-Billancourt)
• Studios de Billancourt  post production (as Paris-Studios-Billancourt)
• Symphonie-Orchester Graunke  music recorded by (as Symphonie Orchester Graunke)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:92 min | Germany:87 min (cut version)

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | English | Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lake Como, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

7 Films Cinéma

Trivia:

Tony Scott was originally slated to direct. But the studio balked because at the time they felt he was not accomplished enough to pull off the project. He would go on to direct the remake Man on Fire (2004).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Creasy:And so. That's how I ended. A stiff in a body bag.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vengeance Is Mine: Reinventing 'Man on Fire' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Johnny B. Goode

a very unusual European film

When most people today hear the title "Man on Fire", they probably think right away of the 2004 film starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. Unbeknownst to many of them is that film is in fact a remake of a gritty, disturbing, and above all, unusual European film of the same title. The 1987 version of "Man on Fire" is probably a film that I would have to consider schlock. From the looks of it, it's budget was fairly decent for it has good acting, good effects, and good sound design. But the reason why it falls under the category of schlock is because of its very unusual and sometimes, inferior styles. This is a film that will meet viewers halfway. Some people will enjoy it just for what it is. And the other half will simply despise it.

For me, "Man on Fire" was in deed unusual and strange and definitely not the most creative film ever made. But while that is true in my personal opinion, there is another factor that I cannot deny. And that is the factor that while the film was a bit shoddy, it was highly entertaining and in a way, a bit more complex and more compelling than the 2004 remake. It has some gorgeous scenery, absolutely wonderful acting, a fairly decent screenplay, and other things that I simply find attractive in a motion picture. Scott Glenn was absolutely flawless as Creasy and he pulled off the character as being mysterious, cold, and unusual. He wasn't quite the tough guy as Denzel Washington was in the remake. To be honest, I wanted him to be tougher, but it kind of worked out. Jade Malle, an actress who unfortunately did not do much acting after this debut, was fairly good as Sam. Yes, she wasn't the best child actress in the world and not a patch when compared to Dakota Fanning, but I found her to a fairly decent addition to the cast. And Joe Pesci, while definitely one of the unusual aspects of the film, pulled off a fairly good performance as well.

Action sequences in "Man on Fire" were fairly decent. Many of them were flawed, but they were, for the most part, thrilling. There was one part that I personally felt did not work out. When one of the bad guys gets shot in the stomach, he just kind of stands there until he finally starts to slowly fall over. The camera doesn't change angles or anything like that to create a more distressful feeling. But other than that, the gunfights and action sequences were intense, gritty, and bloody. And the gore here is used at a controlled level. And what I will always remember about this film was that unlike the 2004 version, there was a scene here that just made me jump.

So what doesn't work in "Man on Fire"? Basically, it's just a few aspects of the film's style. Some parts of the film I think could have used a few more takes. The scene where Creasy finds the first of the kidnappers probably could have been done differently, for I found it to be too disturbing and uncomfortable. And like I said, there are some wonderfully talented actors and actresses in this film. Jade Malle's parents were portrayed wonderfully, unfortunately, their characters are what I would call stick figures. Just in the background, so that you know they're there. The ending for the film is a mysterious one of the highest order. For a while, it doesn't make any sense. And I think the explanation of the ending just depends on an individual viewer's point of view. Maybe that's what the director intended.

The original 1987 "Man on Fire" is not the kind of film for everybody. Some aspects of it are inferior to the 2004 remake, but other aspects exceed well above it. Personally, I might prefer this version for its colorful acting, its not-so-gangster style, Scott Glenn's wonderful performance, the great music score, and just the great thrills of a 1980s European thriller.