Is Don’t Shoot the Composer Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (1966)

📖 The Core Premise

Don’t Shoot the Composer returns to the screen in 1966, bringing a fresh narrative to the Documentary, TV Movie genre. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "DON’T SHOOT THE COMPOSER is far from an ordinary profile of Georges Delerue. It also serves as a calling card for Ken Russell, whose work would define the 1970s as Delerue’s did in the 1960s. It begins with a sly work of pastiche, parodying the conventions of French noir. It goes onto encompass slapstick, verité scenes of the Delerue family and a harrowing montage of the Vietnam War. This eclectic approach gives us a sense of the different facets of Delerue’s life- his love of cinema, his home life, his work ethic. It also prefigures Russell’s feature length biopics of Mahler and Liszt, though in a more modest- and lucid- fashion."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. In Don’t Shoot the Composer, even the presence of Georges Delerue struggles to save a script that feels disjointed. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is Don’t Shoot the Composer worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary, TV Movie films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, Don’t Shoot the Composer misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 51 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.