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Light Sleeper
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
EAN: 0013023011496
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Label: Geneon [Pioneer]
Languages: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Publisher: Geneon [Pioneer]
Release Date: December 29, 1998
Running Time: 103 minutes
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Theatrical Release Date: 1992
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Editorial Review:
This compelling 1992 drama is often cited as the third film in writer-director Paul Schrader's trilogy of "nocturnal alienation" that includes Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (which Schrader wrote) and American Gigolo. Like those other films, this one deals with a solitary man who works almost exclusively at night, and the film immerses us in the rhythms and psychology of his lifestyle. In this case, Willem Dafoe plays a cocaine addict who has kicked the habit that almost killed him, but still delivers drugs to clients for a dealer (Susan Sarandon) who dreams of opening a legitimate cosmetics business. He meets an old lover (Dana Delany) who fears he will draw her into their old life of drug abuse, but that proves to be the least of their worries. Simultaneously sad, funny, and fascinating, the film inevitably leads to the outburst of violence that has become a kind of signature in Schrader's work. It lacks the visceral impact of Taxi Driver, but few directors can match Schrader's gift for creating fully realized characters on the fringes of a society to which they don't quite belong. Insomnia, in Schrader's world, is a condition suffered by those whose dreams remain elusive, just beyond their grasp. --Jeff Shannon
John LeTour (Willem Dafoe) is a good man in a bad business, working for Ann (Susan Sarandon) on the wrong side of the law. When Ann decides to close up shop, LeTour has to go straight and discover his own future. But time is running out on him as he must dodge the cops, confront a killer, and find his heart before he can leave his past behind. Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Hidden Treasure for film fans
The previous reviews of this film are great, so I won't praddle on - just want to add a couple notes. Though I'm a Schrader fan and film buff, I was never aware that this "Trilogy" existed and enjoyed this film on its own. This film is not Taxi Driver, one of the greatest American films ever made, but it also does not carry the over-bearing weight of that film, and can be "enjoyed", with an anti-hero which we can more readily identify. The style is minimalist with great visual touches and choices ... Read More
Rating:  - Its climax seems to belong to another movie
John LeTour (Willem Dafoe) is a recovered drug addict who spends his lonely life drifting around the city by night, delivering drugs for his boss, Ann (Susan Sarandon). He worries about his future, but he is firmly enmeshed in a lifestyle from which escape does not seem like a realistic option. A bit of hope creeps back into his life when he encounters an old flame (Dana Delany) from his days as a user and the possibility of rekindled romance becomes his lifeline. This is a very low-key film for ... Read More
Rating: - Paul Schrader grows into being something of an optimist
The irony is that while an obvious case can be made that the best way to appreciate Paul Schrader's 1992 drama "Light Sleeper" is to have seen the previous two entries in his "nocturnal alienation" trilogy, "Taxi Driver" and "American Gigolo," those comparisons are the Achilles heel for the film as well. The commonalities between the angry young Travis Bickle, the narcissistic Julian Kay, and Willem Dafoe's John LeTour are obvious since they are loners with a variety of night jobs. But what is more ... Read More
Rating: - "It's cologne. I'm a sucker for that airplane stuff."
This movie really is a mixed bag. I'd been looking for it for years, and I suppose expectations had far exceeded the actual film. Paul Schrader never fails to deliver in terms of gritty reality with some actual morals ("Taxi Driver", of course, is the best example), so maybe I expected another "Taxi".
The amazing thing about this film is the sharp, sharp contrast between the plot and the way the characters act. William Dafoe plays a drugdealer, and Susan Sarandon plays his main connection, ... Read More
Rating:  - Humane
Unusual in the usual world of American movie theater. Thought provoking and very consequential, certainly not unpredictable but somehow enriching and very humane. The characters of drug dealers turn out to be very likeable and egzistential.
There are many weaknesses in this plot - violent end seems to be repeating "Taxi Driver" in a sort of casual "Crime And Punishment" way, nevertheless it is very simplistic. Drug dealer is apparently more in a character of Paul Schreader than a realistic immersion ... Read More
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