DIRECTOR: Paul Schrader
BOTTOM LINE: Julian Kay (Richard Gere) is a high-end male escort in Los Angeles who caters to wealthy, older women. His work supports his lavish lifestyle, but his emotional detachment and materialism leave him vulnerable.
I DON’T DO FAGS, I DON’T DO KINK
While on a job arranged by his gay male pimp Leon (Bill Duke), Julian is sent to Palm Springs for a sadomasochistic encounter with the wife of a wealthy financier. Soon after, she is found murdered, and Julian becomes the prime suspect. His alibi—another client—refuses to come forward to protect her marriage, leaving Julian exposed. Julian’s gay female pimp, Anne (Nina van Pallandt), is unsympathetic, and he is questioned by a Westwood police detective played by Hector Elizondo. As the investigation intensifies, Julian begins a romantic relationship with Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton), the wife of a California state senator. Their emotional connection deepens, but Julian’s world unravels as he realizes he’s being framed.
Julian may have broken half of his cardinal rule in Palm Springs. Still, writer/director Paul Schrader, despite seeing things through a Bresson lens, his Calvinist instincts, and his innate homophobia (at the time), not only encouraged composer Giorgio Moroder to write one of his most gorgeous electronic scores but also allowed his movie to serve as a blueprint for societal change. This is why “American Gigolo” is Schrader’s masterpiece.
Courtesy of Giorgio and Nando, two gay Italian men, glamor and fashion had returned to the world, not just Hollywood but THE WORLD.
Watching it for the first time as a teenager, I knew that, courtesy of Giorgio (Armani) and Nando (Scarfiotti), two gay Italian men, glamor and fashion had returned to the world, not just Hollywood but THE WORLD. “American Gigolo” altered the way we perceive our day-to-day existence. Goodbye, 70s. Hello, 80s. Is giving pleasure a crime? No. Hello fashion! Hello life! We will be spending an obscene amount of money in the decade ahead! And the magnificent cinematography by John Bailey didn’t hurt either!
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