'Round Midnight

Inside a dimly lit Paris nightclub in 1959, a weary, sickly jazzman named Dale Turner reaches for a soaring tenor line that fills the room. Outside, a penniless young Parisian named Francis Borler hovers near the door, listening as the music turns night into memory. Their chance encounter becomes an unlikely friendship, bridging a gulf of age and circumstance. While Turner teaches Borler to listen deeply, the younger man offers a fresh curiosity and a stubborn will to survive. Through nights of improvisation, discipline, and quiet dialogue, the duo unlocks a renewed energy that spills into both their lives, sparking a late burst of genius. The film quietly respects its players and lets music tell the story more than dialogue.

Released in 1986, the film was directed by Bertrand Tavernier with a screenplay by David Rayfiel. Based on an original premise, it centers on a veteran jazzman and a hungry young listener in late 1950s Paris, and Tavernier's humane approach.

The film grossed 10,000,000 dollars worldwide against a 3,000,000 budget, marking a solid return and helping introduce Dexter Gordon to a wider, global audience, particularly through international festival screenings. Its modest earnings echoed the film's artisanal, character driven approach worldwide.

This film helped fuse American hard bop with European cinema, turning a nightclub tableau into a quiet meditation on aging and artistic companionship. Dexter Gordon's presence as a touring saxophonist affected audiences beyond jazz fans, shaping how music and place influence character in cinema and culture that lingers after credits.

Critics noted the film's patient pacing and intimate performances, praising Tavernier's respectful direction and Gordon's breakthrough screen work. It balances street level grit with lyrical mood, letting music drive the emotional arc. Themes include aging, friendship across difference, and the redemptive power of art that endures amid hardship for viewers.