Overview: Paul Schrader, hot off writing the scripts for Martin Scorsese’s immortal classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, stepped into the director’s chair for the third time with 1980’s American Gigolo, a gripping tale of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of sultry late-’70s Los Angeles and starring Richard Gere in a breakthrough performance.

In a world of wealth and desire, high-end male escort Julian Kay (Gere) offers his love and attention to women in need. But when a client, the wife of a sadistic finance magnate, is found dead, all eyes turn to Julian as the prime suspect.

Realizing he’s being framed, Julian races to prove his innocence, determined to unravel the mystery behind the setup. As he digs deeper into the case, he embarks on a journey that forces him to confront his own identity.

Blu-ray Verdict: It had been many years since I saw this film, which I’d filed away in my memory as decent enough but rather shallow before. This time round, and now here as a wondrous 4K UHD presentation, it seems a much more solidly-made work about loneliness in a cold, transactional world; with memorable characters and situations, for the most part very well-crafted and told, and of the films he directed, it might actually be Paul Schrader’s best. It’s certainly his most iconic.

The basic premise, of a male prostitute being wrongly charged with a murder, could easily have become silly, sordid or embarrassing, but Richard Gere, at his most impeccably beautiful, makes it all seem rather glamorous, although because of that the film lacks true feeling and realism, often resembling the cover of a fashion magazine more than anyone’s lived experience.

Historically, it’s of interest in that it straddles two eras perfectly: it’s at once a paranoid, downbeat seventies thriller and an MTV music video. It really feels as though the ’80s aesthetic begins here, and the Giorgio Moroder synthesizer soundtrack sounds like it could have accompanied 90% of all American films and TV shows made the next ten years. Without American Gigolo, it’s very hard to imagine there ever being, say, a Miami Vice or Drive.

On the other hand, the ending feels disjointed and weak, concluding with a series of short and uninteresting scenes that briefly begin and then fade to black. I can’t help but think this could have been handled much more compellingly, and it would have been nice if there had been some kind of a twist to the mystery of who was trying to destroy Gere’s life.

Instead, there’s just a bunch of dull formalities and then a somewhat unrealistic happy ending. Which again, is very ’80s, and another sign of the changing of the guard.

In closing, I cannot praise Paul Schrader enough for being brave enough to have written both the script and directed it, and although some of his films are in my opinion disappointing, this one will stand the test of time, but only if it is allowed to do so, of course.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Brand new 4K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original mono, stereo and 5.1 audio options
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary with film critic Adrian Martin
Brand new interview with writer/director Paul Schrader
Six Ways to Sunday, a brand new interview with actor Héctor Elizondo on detecting his character
The Business of PLEASURE, a brand new interview with actor Bill Duke on Leon’s profession
Montages and Monologues, a brand new interview with editor Richard Halsey on putting American Gigolo together
The Non-Conformist, a brand new interview with camera operator King Baggot on American Gigolo
Man Machine, a brand new interview with music supervisor & KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox on the music of Giorgio Moroder
American Icon, a brand new interview with Professor Jennifer Clark on American Gigolo and the fashion landscape of the 80s
Original trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
Six postcard-sized reproduction artcards
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Neil Sinyard, an archival article by Bill Nichols, and original pressbook materials

www.arrowfilms.com