Shoot the pianist
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Shoot the pianist |
| Original title | Tirez sur le pianiste |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1960 |
| length | 79 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | François Truffaut |
| script |
François Truffaut Marcel Moussy |
| production | Pierre Braunberger |
| music | Georges Delerue |
| camera | Raoul Coutard |
| cut | Claudine Bouché |
| occupation | |
| |
Shoot the Piano Player is a French film classic of the Nouvelle Vague from the year 1960 , based on the novel Down There by David Goodis . François Truffaut directed the film .
action
Charlie Kohler works as a nameless pianist in a Parisian suburban bar. In his care he has his younger brother Fido, who is still a child. When Chico, one of his two older brothers, suddenly turns up, Charlie and his work colleague, the waitress Lena, are drawn into an argument with two unscrupulous gangsters who are apparently after Chico and their brother Richard. Lena, who is in love with shy Charlie, reveals to him that she knows about his past as a famous concert pianist under his real name, Edouard Saroyan.
Thereupon he confides his story to her: Years ago he was happily married to his wife Thérésa, he was at the beginning of a great career as a musician. But their relationship began to suffer from Thérésa's increasing depression, eventually she revealed to him that he owed the beginning of his career only to the fact that she had previously given herself to his impresario Schmeel. When he turned away from her in affect, she committed suicide by leaping out the window, and Edouard Saroyan became Charlie Kohler, who tried to leave his past behind him.
Lena wants to help Charlie overcome his life crisis and, together with her, build on his career as a concert pianist. When they want to give notice to the host of the bar together, a scuffle breaks out, in which Charlie stabs the host in self-defense. With the help of the landlady they flee. When they find out that Fido has been kidnapped by the gangsters and they want to visit Chico and Richard in their home province, Charlie and Lena set off to warn the brothers and save Fido. In the parental home there is finally a shooting with the gangsters, the brothers Chico and Richard escape, Lena is shot and dies in the arms of Charlie and Fido.
The last scene of the film takes place again in the Parisian suburban bar. The landlady introduces Charlie to the new waitress before he sits down at the piano and begins to play.
background
The film is also to be understood as an homage to American gangster films and American film noir . However, it contains innumerable ironic refractions. In the 1960s, for example, portraying an unclothed woman on film was not appropriate. Truffaut defied this taboo by having his protagonist Charlie say ironically to his topless friend Clarisse in a bed scene: "Don't forget that this is not allowed in a film!"
criticism
“Tragic-comic film poetry, which is able to cast a spell through the refined stylistic devices and the art of representation of Charles Aznavour. Second feature film by François Truffaut, steeped in black humor and lovable poetry. "
" Tirez sur le pianiste is a film that intentionally stands outside of any reality, but which, in the free play of images, achieves an extraordinary beauty and consistency."
synchronization
The German dubbed version was produced by Simoton Film GmbH Berlin.
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Charlie Kohler | Charles Aznavour | Herbert Stass |
| Clarisse | Michèle Mercier | Brigitte Grothum |
| Concierge | Alice Sapritch | Elf tailors |
| Ernest | Daniel Boulanger | Fritz Tillmann |
| Fido | Richard Kanayan | Ernst Jacobi |
| Lars Schmeel | Claude Heymann | Friedrich Joloff |
| Lena | Marie Dubois | Bettina Schön |
| Mammy | Catherine Lutz | Gisela Reissmann |
| Momo | Claude Mansard | Axel Monjé |
| Plyne | Serge Davri | Franz Nicklisch |
| Richard | Jacques Aslanian | Heinz Petruo |
| Teresa | Nicole Berger | Eva Katharina Schultz |
Web links
- Shoot the Piano Player in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Shoot the pianist in the German dubbing file
- Film description at arte
- Review on Filmzentrale.com
- Full film on Archive.org: [1]
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release Certificate for Shoot the Pianist . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , June 2005 (PDF; test number: 23 537 DVD).
- ↑ Shoot the pianist. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ^ Reclam's film guide. 2nd Edition. 1973, ISBN 3-15-010205-7 .
- ↑ Shoot the pianist. In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing files , accessed on April 8, 2020 .