American Gigolo (1980): Paul Schrader's Naked Man in a Room | Part 2 (American Giallo)

Bill and Kevin are joined once again by Milwaukee journalist Michail Takach to conclude their discussion of American Gigolo (1980), the first film in the American Giallo series.

The conversation covers the film's second half, from Julian Kaye's downfall to its quietly redemptive ending. Bill argues that Paul Schrader's screenplay, informed by the filmmaker's strict Calvinist upbringing in rural Michigan and the spiritual questions that run throughout his work, ultimately tells a deeply Christian—and even distinctly Catholic—story of grace, redemption, and transformation. Drawing comparisons to Robert Bresson's Pickpocket, the hosts revisit the Catholic reviews discussed in Part One and make the case that the film's theological undercurrents are richer than its Catholic critics gave it credit for. Along the way, they discuss Richard Gere's star-making performance, Lauren Hutton, Héctor Elizondo, and the supporting cast, examining the performances and creative choices that have helped American Gigolo endure.

Michail also shares his personal experiences at Los Angeles's legendary Probe nightclub, one of the clubs that helped define the city's late 1970s nightlife and inspired the world of American Gigolo. The episode closes with a discussion of American Gigolo as a critique of the Baby Boomers' "Me Generation," exploring how Schrader's portrait of image, wealth, and self-invention anticipated the hollow materialism that would come to define much of the 1980s.

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