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The Moon in the Gutter

Original title: La lune dans le caniveau
  • 19831983
  • RR
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
He is a revenge-obssessed stevedore whose sister was brutally raped and murdered. She is a wealthy, elusive woman. They try hard to get together... or do they?
Play trailer1:53
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama

He is a revenge-obssessed stevedore whose sister was brutally raped and murdered. She is a wealthy, elusive woman. They try hard to get together... or do they?He is a revenge-obssessed stevedore whose sister was brutally raped and murdered. She is a wealthy, elusive woman. They try hard to get together... or do they?He is a revenge-obssessed stevedore whose sister was brutally raped and murdered. She is a wealthy, elusive woman. They try hard to get together... or do they?

IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jean-Jacques Beineix
  • Writers
    • Jean-Jacques Beineix(scenario)
    • Olivier Mergault(scenario)
    • David Goodis(novel)
  • Stars
    • Gérard Depardieu
    • Nastassja Kinski
    • Victoria Abril
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jean-Jacques Beineix
  • Writers
    • Jean-Jacques Beineix(scenario)
    • Olivier Mergault(scenario)
    • David Goodis(novel)
  • Stars
    • Gérard Depardieu
    • Nastassja Kinski
    • Victoria Abril
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:53
    Trailer

    Photos115

    Nastassja Kinski in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Nastassja Kinski and Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Nastassja Kinski and Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Nastassja Kinski in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)
    Nastassja Kinski and Gérard Depardieu in La lune dans le caniveau (1983)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gérard Depardieu
    Gérard Depardieu
    • Gérard Delmas - un docker hanté par le suicide de sa soeuras Gérard Delmas - un docker hanté par le suicide de sa soeur
    Nastassja Kinski
    Nastassja Kinski
    • Loretta Channing - une fille des beaux quartiersas Loretta Channing - une fille des beaux quartiers
    Victoria Abril
    Victoria Abril
    • Bella - la maîtresse possessive de Gérardas Bella - la maîtresse possessive de Gérard
    Bertice Reading
    Bertice Reading
    • Lolaas Lola
    Gabriel Monnet
    • Tomas Tom
    Dominique Pinon
    Dominique Pinon
    • Frank - le frère alcoolique de Gérardas Frank - le frère alcoolique de Gérard
    Milena Vukotic
    Milena Vukotic
    • Frieda - une prostituée vieillissanteas Frieda - une prostituée vieillissante
    Vittorio Mezzogiorno
    Vittorio Mezzogiorno
    • Newton Channing - le frère à la dérive de Lorettaas Newton Channing - le frère à la dérive de Loretta
    Bernard Farcy
    Bernard Farcy
    • Jésusas Jésus
    Anne-Marie Coffinet
    • Doraas Dora
    Jacques Herlin
    Jacques Herlin
    Guido Alberti
    • Le gardien de la cathédraleas Le gardien de la cathédrale
    Katya Berger
    Katya Berger
    • Catherineas Catherine
    • (as Katia Berger)
    Rosa Fumetto
    Graziano Giusti
    Fred Ulysse
    Victor Cavallo
    Jean-Roger Milo
    • Director
      • Jean-Jacques Beineix
    • Writers
      • Jean-Jacques Beineix(scenario)
      • Olivier Mergault(scenario)
      • David Goodis(novel)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In Marseilles, a woman commits suicide after she is raped in an alley. Nightly, her brother Gerard broods at the scene hoping to catch the rapist. He lives with his lover Bella whom he neglects, an alcoholic brother who lurks about, and his father who's stayed drunk since the daughter's death, ignoring work and his own companion. At a seedy bar, Gerard meets a wealthy, nihilistic hedonist and his beautiful sister. Gerard flips for her and thinks she's his ticket out of the slum. Bella warns him otherwise and also, in jealousy, sets two thugs on him. Then Gerard thinks he's found his sister's rapist. These emotional crises force Gerard to choose what's most important. —<jhailey@hotmail.com>
    • avenge
    • astronomical object in title
    • rape and revenge
    • character repeats someone else's dialogue
    • woman in a shower
    • 54 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After completing the director's cut of 37°2 le matin (1986), Jean-Jacques Beineix approached Gaumont with a request that he do the same thing for La lune dans le caniveau (1983). The studio however informed Beineix that all the unused scenes from the film had been destroyed. Beineix has said that the original cut of the film was 4 hours long.
    • Quotes

      Tom: A husband, you have to earn it!

    • Crazy credits
      Pre-credits title: "We're born in the gutter ... where the stars gleam in the water."
    • Alternate versions
      The version released theatrically in US was 11 minutes shorter than the original released in France.
    • Connections
      Featured in Cannes... les 400 coups (1997)

    User reviews16

    Review
    Top review
    The introverted family member of Diva
    La lune dans le caniveau is definitely different in comparison to director Beineix's much more straightforward crime film Diva (1981). It is more like an introverted, dramatic family member. We observe a man who tries to deal with his mistress and his alcoholic brother, and wants revenge for the death of his sister. Is this story very interesting? I wouldn't say so. Most scenes are long and tedious (the film has a two hour runtime). Only real fans of either Beineix or the actors will keep their concentration until the very end.

    The pleasure for the viewer lies elsewhere: the stylistic, colorful cinematography. The film has playful use of lights EVERYWHERE. It is visually incredibly detailed for a film from begin 80's, which were usually bleak on purpose. Both films from Beineix, Diva and this one, weren't praised for its renewal. On the contrary: they were equally bashed by the critics. Style over substance, they said. Which, as an argument about film, seems always ridiculous to me. Isn't cinema BY DEFINITION about style? It is not a book on screen, after all. How is a film as 8 1/2 not style over substance?

    While I'll think Beineix was quite adventurous with his colorful style, perhaps even ahead of its time, as films have become more style over substance ever since (take for example V for vendetta, Spring Breakers, Ixjana, City of lost children, The strange color of your body's tears). Also quite modern are these out of the ordinary female characters, played wonderfully by Victoria Abril and Natassja Kinski. Depardieu's acting perhaps seems a bit shallow but he is in fact right in tone with the introverted style of the film. This was a period (begin 80's) in which he excelled in playing lead characters (Danton, Le chevre, Le dernier métro, Buffet froid). I rate this film 7/10. Despite the visual feast, I'm just too impatient to enjoy a film at such a slow pace. An one-hour cut would do magic for this film.
    helpful•4
    0
    • tony_le_stephanois
    • Jun 11, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 18, 1983 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Italy
    • Official site
      • Official Vimeo Site
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Der Mond in der Gosse
    • Filming locations
      • Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Gaumont
      • TF1 Films Production
      • Société Française de Production Cinématographique (S.F.P.C.)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Jean-Jacques Beineix, Director of ‘Diva’ and ‘Betty Blue,’ Dies at 75
    Jean-Jacques Beineix, Director of ‘Diva’ and ‘Betty Blue,’ Dies at 75
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    November 30th Genre Releases Include Raiders Of Atlantis (Blu-ray), Saint Maud (Blu-ray / DVD), Malignant (Blu-ray / DVD)
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    Nov 30DailyDead

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