"American Gigolo" & Transcendental Style

Andrew Sarris, to use the obvious example, maintained that the technical craftsmanship of the film excels, particularly the color strategies that produce a "psychological disorientation" toward the fundamental American narcissism and materialism that Schrader attacks.1 A similar compliment...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Literature film quarterly 1988-01, Vol.16 (2), p.91-100
Main Author:	Fraser, Peter
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Allusion American Gigolo Bresson, Robert Buddhism Calvinism cinematic technique Film criticism Film noir general literature Gere, Richard Mass media Motion picture directors & producers Motion picture industry Motion pictures Movies Narratives Pickpockets Religion Schrader, Paul Joseph Television transcendence Transcendentals
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Andrew Sarris, to use the obvious example, maintained that the technical craftsmanship of the film excels, particularly the color strategies that produce a "psychological disorientation" toward the fundamental American narcissism and materialism that Schrader attacks.1 A similar compliment has come from the many who have noted the influence of the film on the popular television series Miami Vice. 3 Critics alternately have complained that Gigolo is too much a textbook example of Schrader's theory of transcendental style or too much drawn from film noir, 4 or they complained of the opposite, that the film lacks a consistent pattern: fast-moving entertainment but with a perplexing conclusion and a hodge-podge of quotes from Robert Bresson and films noir.
ISSN:	0090-4260 2573-7597