Nastassja Kinski was considered to play Monica Poiccard, who in the end was played by Valérie Kaprisky.
Of the love scenes in the film, Valérie Kaprisky said that they were not just acting: "It was wonderful working with Richard. He [Richard Gere] gives you everything to react to. We were not acting the love scenes. They were half real. You can't say you act only when they say 'Action!'...I think it shows in the movie. If you don't really feel like doing it, it shows." Reportedly, during casting, Gere wanted Kaprisky because she was someone he would like to make love to. Gere and Kaprisky are seen in full frontal nudity in the film. Publicity for this film rumored the two to have had a personal relationship around the time that this film was made and released, but this has been denied. Two of the French films that Kaprisky appeared in prior to this movie have been described as being soft-core or semi-porn. Moreover, seminude photos of Kaprisky were sold prior to this movie's casting to a photographer, allegedly without Kaprisky's consent, but these pictures were seen by producer Martin Erlichman and led to her being considered, interviewed, and cast in the movie. Kaprisky was around nineteen years of age when this film was made and released, whilst actor Richard Gere was around thirty-three.
Quentin Tarantino has said that this is one of the "coolest" movies, stating: "Here's a movie that indulges completely all my obsessions, comic books, rockabilly music and movies."
A couple love scenes were edited out in order to get an R-rating. In one of them, Jesse slowly cuts Monica's dress off by carefully using a pair of scissors. In the other, a palm tree exploded into flames behind them as they made out.