Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5894 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-03-05
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Turkish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 112 minutes

Special Features
1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
German
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Mono German
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Mono
Theatrical Trailer
Arabic\Bulgarian\Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\German\Hungarian\Icelandic\Norwegian\Polish\Romanian\Swedish\Turkish

Synopsis
Richard Gere is Julian Kay, a slick emotionally and spiritually deprived L.A. hustler in AMERICAN GIGOLO. While servicing an upscale clientele in the Hollywood area, he becomes involved with a rich senator's wife (Lauren Hutton), their relationship extending beyond Julian's normal encounters. Little does he know he is about to be framed for murder, forcing him to rely on alibis from Madame Anne (Nina Van Pallandt), a crooked pimp (Bill Duke), or the senator's wife herself. A stylishly sleazy look at moral decay and redemption, director Paul Schrader combines a European cinematic sensibility with his usual themes of moral drift and emotional alienation in this vivid portrait of early 1980s chic Hollywood decadence.

From the Back Cover
Julian Kay is on the prowl and looking for someone to please. Boyish and sensual, he speaks five or six languages, and is equally comfortable as a chauffeur for a wealthy middle-aged matron, and as a translator/companion for the lonely wife of an executive. He is the American Gigolo . But Julian's love-for-sale lifestyle turns deadly when a client is murdered and Julian becomes the prime suspect.

Richard Gere is electrifying as Julian in this stylish, sexually charged darama deom Paul Schrader ( Light Sleeper, Cat People ). Co-starring Lauren Hutton.

Customer Reviews

One Classic Movie and an average one
This is a highly watchable 80's romantic melodrama where the usual boy-girl relationship gets involved but Set against a military training environment. The acting performances from a great cast in this movie is what makes this movie what it is, a classic. And the movie is one of those that keeps you watching until the end. A subplot is included to add to the movies goodness and together this makes for a great all time classic movie.

The main character in American Gigolo plays a role that is of average performance and the movie is one that starts lively at the beggining and then dies down. The storyline is balanced out rather well and the movie is one that keeps you watching but this isn't as good as An Officer and a Gentleman. There is a lot of good parts to this movie but that would ruin the movie. Average movie, average acting for American Gigolo. Gigolo is a pretty good title. This would be a great buy!!!!

An example of Schrader's 'high style'.
Paul Schrader in Kevin Jackson's 'Schrader on Schrader' (1990) talks about the effect of Bertolucci's 'The Conformist' on American cinema. It is evident in films like 'The Godfather' (check out 'The Conformist's confession scene and framing to the opening of 'The Godfather') to the works of Michael Mann. Schrader sees this as 'high style' inflected by Bertolucci from 30's Hollywood.

'American Gigolo' takes this emphasis on design and framing- as well as the look of expense- and applies it to a typical Schrader loner. Gere's Julian, 'Jools', is the next yuppie step on from 'Midnight Cowboy'- but is not unrelated to Travis Bickle or Defoe's character in 'Light Sleeper'. THe Moroder score adds to the proceedings, though the classy repetition of shots down an LA street feel like a fusion of 'A bout de Souffle' & 'Taxi DRiver'.

THe thriller part is slightly confused, a more venal world- between Altman's 'The Long Goodbye' & De Palma's 'Scarface'. As yuppies have resurfaced and consumerism is the new religion (again), this is a presient film to watch- as Julian is all surface. Schrader captures California in a wholly original way, though this film is a companion more to 'Hardcore' or 'Light Sleeper' than his masterpieces 'Blue Collar', 'Mishima' & 'Affliction'.

'American Gigolo' is worth checking out- the 'high style' and depiction of gay subculture would inform the 'high concept' of Bruckheimer and lead to the shallowest form of cinema. Here, at budget price, you get the 'high style' reflecting the veneer of its lead character. Not unlike 'THe Conformist'...

The best plot of any Richard Gere's films
Julian Kay (Gere) is an male escort, with all the physical attributes and attitude, oozing charm, who takes his work very seriously. When helping out a friend, the nature of his work changes and the plot becomes much darker. Lauren Hutton is superb too. A must see for Richard Gere fans