American Gigolo: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1980
Director: Paul Schrader
Writer: Paul Schrader
Cast: Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina van Pallandt, Bill Duke, Brian Davies

Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 116 Minutes 35 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95

"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." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “American Gigolo has been exclusively remastered by Arrow Films. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution at Fotokem, Burbank. The film was restored in 4K and graded in SDR, HDR10 and Dolby Vision at Dragon DI, Wales. Grading review was completed by Porsteinn Gislason. All materials sourced for this project were made available by Paramount. This newly remastered presentation of American Gigolo has been approved by director Paul Schrader."

American Gigolo comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 91.1 GB

Feature: 80.5 GB

The source looks excellent; it is a massive upgrade over Paramount’s dated-looking Blu-ray. Flesh tones and colors look perfect; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic. That said, this is another exemplary encode from Fidelity in Motion.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD 5.1 English), 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All three audio tracks are in excellent shape. Range-wise, the differences between the stereo and 5.1 tracks are minimal, while the differences between the stereo and mono tracks are more pronounced. That said, the stereo track is noticeably fuller than the mono track. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and the score sounds robust. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include image galleries: stills (26 images), posters and press (8 images) and lobby cards (8 images), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Dolby mono English, no subtitles), an interview titled American Icon with professor Jennifer Clark titled American Icon who discusses American Gigolo and the fashion landscape of the 80s (18 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview titled Man Machine with music supervisor and KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox who discusses the music of Giorgio Moroder (15 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with camera operator King Baggot titled The Non-Conformist (25 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Richard Halsey titled Montages and Monologues (7 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Bill Duke titled The Business of Pleasure (15 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Héctor Elizondo titled Six Ways to Sunday (10 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer/director Paul Schrader titled Below the Surface (19 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Adrian Martin, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster, six postcard-sized reproduction art cards, a slipcover, and a 60-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Guilty Pleasure: Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo written by Neil Sinyard, an archival article titled American Gigolo: Transcendental Style and Narrative written by Bill Nichols, original pressbook materials, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Written and directed by Paul Schrader, whose other notable films are Hardcore, Cat People, Affliction, and Auto Focus, Besides directing, he has also written these notable screenplays: Taxi Driver, Obsession, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Bringing Out the Dead.

An escort is framed for a murder he didn't commit.

Though more known for his work as a screenwriter, Paul Schrader is one of the rare examples of a screenwriter who successfully transitioned to director. That said, Paul Schrader stands out from other screenwriter-turned-directors due to his equally captivating visuals and words.

American Gigolo was filmed as the 1970s drew to a close, and yet it is widely regarded as having ushered in the look of the 1980s. Its depiction of materialism and excess foreshadows two things that would become synonymous with the 1980s. That said, it is astonishing how forward-thinking the movie American Gigolo is.

Content-wise, American Gigolo has all the core elements of a Neo-Noir. A man framed for murder must uncover the reason to clear his name and avoid prison. He works as an escort, a cutthroat business in which contacts and keeping your nose clean are essential. In his quest to better himself, he has stepped on a lot of toes, and now his arrogance is coming back to bite him in the ass. Things go awry when the protagonist breaks his own rules and steps out of his comfort zone. In a race against time, his only hope of staying out of prison is uncovering who has a vendetta against him.

Casting a film with the right actor or actress is essential, and it is hard to imagine anyone but Richard Gere (Looking for Mr. Goodbar) in the role of the protagonist. Before Richard Gere’s casting, John Travolta was originally attached, and when he withdrew, Christopher Reeve was offered the role. Richard Gere most definitely looks the part, especially when it comes to his physical attributes. He is far more than just a pretty face; he delivers a nuanced performance that makes it easy to sympathize with his character.

When it comes to the performances, everyone, even the most minor characters, is exceptional. Lauren Hutton (Once Bitten) in the role of a senator's wife having an affair with the protagonist is a standout performance. And Bill Duke’s (Predator) portrayal of a pimp named Leon is a scene-stealing performance.

Giorgio Moroder’s (Scarface) superlative score is another area where American Gigolo has that 1980s vibe. The main song, Call Me, which he co-wrote with Debbie Harry, perfectly captures the mood. Giorgio Moroder also scored Paul Schrader’s next film, Cat People.

From a production standpoint, American Gigolo is a film where everything falls into place. Paul Schrader’s exquisite dialog and the flawlessly constructed narrative do a phenomenal job building tension towards an unforgettable ending. The most surprising aspect of American Gigolo is how much of the film is female instead of the more common male gaze. Ultimately, American Gigolo is an extraordinary film that draws you into its seductive web of deceit.

American Gigolo gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer