The Moon in the Gutter: The Jean-Jacques Beineix Collection

ATTENTION Amazon Buyers, This DVD will NOT play on your BLU-ray player, will only play on a DVD player. The Sellers and/or Amazon Should provide Full-Disclosure... But, Hey, No one's Perfect!! lol So, Now, I must Beg, Borrow, or Steal a DVD player to see my Fave of All-Time, Thee Most Beautiful Woman ( in Cinema) Nastassja Kinski !! And the Movie You Must See Before You Die, (that Proves This) is... Tess. She is Absolutely Heavenly and Drop Dead, Sensually Gorgeous in that film. P.S. Anyone know why some of these Region 0 (so called Worldwide DVDs) ONLY play on a DVD player? And how does one figure it out, Because most of the sellers I find, aren't even sure. Thanks, and Viva Cinema!!... and to a somewhat lesser extent... Viva Amazon!!

The transfer used for this disc is of very poor quality and not representative of the quality of the photography of this film. It's not worthy of a Blu Ray release since it's even below good DVD quality. Calling it HD is misleading. There is no HD detail there nor the proper look and texture of 35mm film.

This brilliant film is an example of existential angst wrapped up in a modern Noir type of packaging. It was not truly appreciated when released in the theaters but is well worth watching and owning. The film is so engrossing that the reading of the dialogue is not wearisome as some foreign films are. The directors stylistic use of images to hint at and suggest deeper themes is truly artistic. Not only that, the book it is based on is an often overlooked novel by one of America's less appreciated authors David Goodis. He has often been the author of books chosen for the films. His 1st novel DARK PASSAGE was, of course, a challanging vehicle for Bogart. You will not regret purchasing the film. But PLEASE read the book too. You will never regret the experience of seeing the lonely of the loser struggling against all odds just to survive as a descent man in a world set against him. Good acting by Gerard and Natasha as well. Money well invested. Richard Leo Jackson

For many years, the American noir writer David Goodis (1917 -- 1967) was more appreciated in France than in the United States. In 1960, Francois Trauffaut made a renowned film, "Shoot the Piano Player" from Goodis' 1956 novel "Down There". Then, in 1983, the French director Jean-Jacques Beineix made an equally ambitious attempt to film Goodis with "The Moon in the Gutter", a pulp paperback novel written in 1953. Beineix enjoyed large successes with his films "Diva" and "Betty Blue". In addition, his film of "The Moon in the Gutter" had two renowned actors, Gerard Depardieu and Nastassja Kinski, in the leading roles. Unfortunately, critics and audiences disliked the movie when it was released, but the film still has a following. Goodis' finally achieved deserved recognition in the United States with the publication of a Library of America volume of five novels, including "The Moon in the Gutter".  David Goodis: Five Noir Novels of the 1940s and 50s (Library of America) The movie follows the novel reasonably closely. Goodis set his book in squalid Philadelphia slums along the waterfront while the film transfers the setting to Marseille. Some of the characters' names are also changed, and I will refer to their names in the movie. The main character, Gerardo, is a stevedore in his mid-30's who lives in a cheap rooming house with his depressive father and brother, and his girlfriend Bella. Seven months before the story begins, Gerardo's younger sister had killed herself in an alley after being raped. Full of anger and grief, Gerardo vows to find the person responsible. This thread of the story is interrupted when a beautiful and wealthy young woman, Loretta, begins to slum in the dives that Gerardo frequents. She and Gerardo become strongly attracted. As the movie proceeds, Gerardo must resolve his feelings towards Loretta and Bella and he must reach some resolution in his search for the person who ruined his sister.Goodis' novel has a deeply sad feel in its story of lonely, tormented individuals. The book is much more concerned with character and with setting than with plot. The film partially realizes the book in its setting and scenes. It captures extensively the waterfront, the cheap dives, the streets, and the desperate people that make the novel. Most of the action takes place at night with the moon as the prominent symbol. With its sadness, violence, and often lurid character the film is effective. It is also generally well-acted.There are also problems with the film in the areas of characterization and pacing. At 137 minutes. the film moves slowly and seems long. It also fails to develop fully the characters and their motivations. The viewer will not have a feel for the protagonists that Goodis develops in his novel, and the plot is less fully developed than in the book. These issues are related. The film was originally four hours in length before the studio that produced it compelled Beineix to make large cuts. With the cuts, coherence and development were sacrificed and the movie still feels overly long. It is unfortunate that the original version has apparently not been preserved.The major attraction of the movie is the opportunity it offers to see the Goodis novel on film. I was glad to have the opportunity to see the movie which, for all its flaws, is still undervalued and worth seeing. I used the Amazon "instant download" feature for the first time to watch this movie, which I probably never would have seen otherwise.Robin Friedman

As a JJ Beineix fan, I enjoyed it.

Disque Blue Ray à l'état neuf, version française incluse, film remastérisé, un classique incontournable de J.J. Beinex, polar noir. Saisissant. Merci.

"The Moon in the Gutter" (1983) is directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix (Diva, Betty Blue).The movie takes place mostly in a lower class neighbourhood, or at the docks where Gerard (Gerard Depardieu) works, and focuses on the women in his life, including his tigress girlfriend, Bella (Victoria Abril), as he tries to make sense of his sister's death. When Gerard meets Loretta (Nastassja Kinski), a wealthy amateur photographer, she seems to reveal a better, ideal world, beyond his squalid life. This is emphasized in a billboard image of a tourist destination that is seen behind Loretta as she drives up to his house. This stylized and melancholic film, with a wonderfully eclectic soundtrack by Gabriel Yared, is beautifully lit and directed. Its often dream like quality reflects a complex world of disillusionment, and hope where convalescence resides.The blu-ray is actually closer in quality to what one would expect from a dvd given its lack of detail. The special features include an interview with the director (16 min), movie stills, and the director's first film "Mr. Michel's Dog"(15 min).

Plutôt un film dur. A déconseiller aux âmes sensibles (sans ironie).Pour ceux qui adorent J J Beneix sans réserve mais qui ont gardé le souvenir de Diva

This film trails behind 'Diva' and 'Betty Blue', the two most known films, and highly rated, from French director Jean-Jacques Beineix whose film career seemed to peak in that time period, and then went downhill. It starred a young Gerard Depardieu and Nastassja Kinski. The character played by GP was traumatized when his sister was raped and then committed suicide, and he was obsessed with seeking out the rapist. Kinski played a rich girl who entered into his life. She was one pretty actress at that time.Many scenes showed the typical J-J B characteristics - the lighting, the frame composition - which I enjoyed. The plot is flawed and parts of the film were drawn out (the film is over 2 hours long). But if you are a Beineix fan, like I am, you still get something from it.