Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (2010) Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) (original title)

Director:

Joann Sfar

Writers:

Joann Sfar (graphic novel) and
Joann Sfar (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 January 2010 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

A glimpse at the life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg, from growing up in 1940s Nazi-occupied Paris through his successful song-writing years in the 1960s to his death in 1991 at the age of 62.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | 1960s | Painting | Animated Credits | Lying Down In The Middle Of A Street

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Eric Elmosnino	...	Serge Gainsbourg / Voix de La Gueule
Lucy Gordon	...	Jane Birkin
Laetitia Casta	...	Brigitte Bardot
Doug Jones	...	La Gueule
Anna Mouglalis	...	Juliette Gréco
Mylène Jampanoï	...	Bambou
Sara Forestier	...	France Gall
Kacey Mottet Klein	...	Lucien Ginsburg
Razvan Vasilescu	...	Joseph Ginsburg (le père)
Dinara Drukarova	...	Olga Ginsburg (la mère) (as Dinara Droukarova)
Philippe Katerine	...	Boris Vian
Deborah Grall	...	Elisabeth Levizky
Yolande Moreau	...	Fréhel
Ophélia Kolb	...	Le Modèle
Claude Chabrol	...	Le Producteur Musique de Gainsbourg
François Morel	...	Le Directeur de l'Internat
Philippe Duquesne	...	Lucky Sarcelles
Angelo Debarre	...	Le Guitariste Gitan
Grégory Gadebois	...	Phyphy (as Grégory Gadebois de la Comédie Française)
Alice Carel	...	Judith
Joann Sfar	...	Georges Brassens
Orphée Silard	...	Lilane Ginsburg / Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lucile Vezier	...	Jacqueline Ginsburg / Kate
Le Quatuor	...	Les Frères Jacques
Jean-Claude Camors	...	Frère Jacques 1
Laurent Vercambre	...	Frère Jacques 2
Pierre Ganem	...	Frère Jacques 3
Jean-Yves Lacombe	...	Frère Jacques 4
Roger Mollien	...	Le Père de France Gall (as Roger Mollien de la Comédie Française)
Hortense Pol	...	La Fille de Judith
Arnaud Churin	...	Le Chef des Pompiers
Guillaume Viry	...	Ingénieur du Son Jamaïque
Oliver Cywie	...	Gosse Internat 1 (as Olivier Cywie)
Kevin Loubarere	...	Gosse !nternat 2
Thomas Larsonnier	...	Gosse Internat 3
Vincent Colombe	...	Le Flic Nazi Rock 1
Gilles Verlant	...	Le Flic Nazi Rock 2
Pierre Brichese	...	Le Chauffeur de la Fleetwood (as Piero Brichese)
Jean-Pierre Gos	...	Le Responsable Préfecture
Denis Falgoux	...	L'Employé Préfecture
Franc Bruneau	...	La Planton Brochaut
Maurice Antoni	...	Le Directeur de l'Orphelinat
Camille Lupfer	...	La Petite Fille Plage
Jacqueline Staup	...	La Dame Rousse
Caroline Tillette	...	La Fille en Rouge
Jérôme Chappatte	...	Le Commissaire Priseur
Marc Du Pontavice	...	Le Policier Vian 1
Didier Lupfer	...	Le Policier Vian 2
Laurent Levy	...	Le Musicien Classique
Chloé Coulloud	...	Marilou Coiffeuse
Lisa Jacobs	...	La Journaliste
Rosette	...	La Vendeuse Confiserie
Stéphane Batut	...	Le Client Cabaret Mme Arthur
Montse Ribé	...	La Gueule (enfant)
Frédéric Mpampa	...	Enfant Jamaïcain 1
Jahmal Noel	...	Enfant IJmaïcain 2
Janyem Perrin-Cebin	...	Enfant Jamaïcain 3
Daniel Isoppo	...	Le Journaliste France-Soir
Jeremy Vanhese	...	L'Imitateur (as Jeremy Van Hese)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chloé Dumas	...	Natalie Wood (uncredited)
Gonzales	...	Pianiste Night-Club (uncredited)
Mathias Malzieu	...	Musicien Nazi Rock (uncredited)
Riad Sattouf	...	Le Petit Modèle de Fréhel (uncredited)

Directed by
Joann Sfar

Writing credits
Joann Sfar		(graphic novel)
Joann Sfar		screenplay

Produced by
Marc Du Pontavice	....	producer
Matthew Gledhill	....	supervising producer
Didier Lupfer	....	producer

Original Music by
Olivier Daviaud

Cinematography by
Guillaume Schiffman

Film Editing by
Maryline Monthieux

Casting by
Stéphane Batut
Des Hamilton

Production Design by
Christian Marti

Set Decoration by
Isabelle Girard

Costume Design by
Pascaline Chavanne

Makeup Department
Véronique Boitout	....	hair stylist
Laurence Boulet	....	assistant hair stylist
Patrick Girault	....	key hair stylist
Mathieu Gueracague	....	hair stylist
Laetitia Hillion	....	special makeup effects artist
Frédéric Lainé	....	special makeup effects artist
David Martí	....	special makeup effects artist
Anne Moralis	....	wig maker
Christophe Oliveira	....	key makeup artist
Gill Robillard	....	key makeup artist
Myriam Roger	....	additional hair stylist
Miguel Santos	....	hair stylist
Floris Schuller	....	special aging prosthetics: DDT Crew

Production Management
Pascal Bonnet	....	production manager
Maxime Bouyer	....	assistant unit manager
Matthieu Constans	....	second assistant unit manager
Christina Crassaris	....	post-production supervisor
Brice Francois	....	assistant unit manager trainee
Bertrand Girard	....	unit manager
Bruno Jouan	....	assistant unit manager
Sephora Mayer	....	assistant unit manager trainee
David Moreillon	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Felix Baudouin	....	second second assistant director
Yann Cuinet	....	first assistant director
Sonia Delhaye	....	additional assistant director
Winter Goury du Roslan	....	trainee assistant director
Carol Lecacheur	....	assistant director: crowd
Marie Rolindes	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sophie Bégon	....	assistant art director trainee
Maite Goblet	....	second assistant art director
Alain Gosse	....	first assistant art director
Frédéric Jourdan	....	carpenter
Pascal Leguellec	....	assistant art director
Julia Lemaire	....	assistant art director
Julia Lemaire	....	assistant set decorator
Jean Noviel	....	roughman
Nicolas Raffy	....	property master
Jochen Rohrig	....	head carpenter
Julien Tesseraud	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Philippe Amouroux	....	sound re-recording mixer
Niels Barletta	....	sound mastering engineer
Daniel Cabrera Majada	....	spanish sap mixer
Gurwal Coïc-Gallas	....	sound editor
Jean Goudier	....	supervising sound editor
Johann Gretke	....	sound trainee
Cyril Holtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pierre-Jean Labrusse	....	sound mix technician
Fred Mays	....	post-synchronisation
Michel Monier	....	sound consultant: dolby
Florian Penot	....	assistant foley artist
David Rit	....	boom operator
Daniel Sobrino	....	sound

Special Effects by
Xavi Bastida	....	special makeup effects DDT crew
Maxime Boquier	....	special effects makeup: DDT SFX Crew
Oriane Cattiaux	....	special effects assistant
Grégoire Delage	....	special effects supervisor
Sebastian Lochmann	....	sculptor
Jordi Morera	....	special effects makeup: DDT SFX Crew
Raquel Munuera	....	special effects makeup: DDT SFX Crew
Pablo Perona Navarro	....	special effects makeup
Charles-Axel Vollard	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Béatrice Bauwens	....	visual effects coordinator
Nicolas Borens	....	digital compositor
Sophie Denize	....	visual effects producer
Julien Dias	....	senior compositor
Florence Durante	....	matte painter
Cédric Fayolle	....	visual effects supervisor
Damien Hurgon	....	digital compositor
Wulff Jeremy	....	digital compositor
Luc Martias	....	rotoscoping artist
François Masle	....	digital compositor
François Masle	....	roto artist

Stunts
Laurent Alexandre	....	stunt double: Serge Gainsbourg
Jean-Marc Bellu	....	stunts
Jean-Louis Bonnet	....	stunt double: Policier Vian 1
Lyne Doffagne	....	stunt double: Jane Birkin
Dominique Fouassier	....	stunt coordinator
Gérard Kuhnl	....	stunt driver
Thierry Latour	....	stunts
Jean-Yves Meynet	....	stunts
Sébastien Peres	....	stunts
Garry Pieri	....	stunts
Ludo Silemetzoglou	....	stunt double: La Gueule
Yann Tremblay	....	Stunt double: Policier Vian 2 / car de police
Daniel Vérité	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Loïc Andrieu	....	additional steadicam operator
Sylvain Bardoux	....	grip
Senda Bonnet	....	assistant camera
Julien Bullat	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Simon Bérard	....	gaffer
Patrick Chizallet	....	grip
Stéphane Chollet	....	steadicam operator
David Ciccodicola	....	second assistant camera
Vincent Garat	....	generator operator
Guillaume Genini	....	first assistant camera
Hans Krumenacker	....	electrician
Stella Libert	....	additional assistant camera
Loïc Limosin	....	electrician
Aurore Lossouarn	....	assistant camera
Laurent Menoury	....	key grip
François Perrault-Alix	....	grip
Honoré Soubrie	....	grip
Benjamin Vial	....	grip

Casting Department
Clementine Boissins	....	extras casting assistant
Emilie Chaumat	....	extras casting assistant
Julie David	....	casting: children
Peggy Pasquerault	....	casting assistant
Miguel Peraudeau	....	extras casting assistant
Stéphane Zito	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine Boisgontier	....	assistant costume designer
Caroline de Tugny	....	patina & tint
Denise Diallo	....	wardrobe
Valérie Le Hello	....	costumer
Aurélie Morille	....	wardrobe
Mireille Todounou	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Karen Cerutti	....	first assistant editor
Myriam Coën	....	digital conformation
Ornella Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Sophia Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation
Amélie Massoutier	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Philippe Almosnino	....	musician: guitars
Sylvain Bardiau	....	musician: trumpet
Daniel Beja	....	musician: guitars
Cyril Bilbeaud	....	musician (drums)
Laurent Binder	....	music engineer
Jean-Baptiste Brunhes	....	music engineer
Jean-Baptiste Brunhes	....	music mixer
Raphael Chassin	....	musician (drums)
Pascal Colomb	....	musician: electric bass
Bertrand Commere	....	musician: guitars/banjos/sitars/mandolins
Cecile Coutelier	....	music assistant engineer
Olivier Daviaud	....	music arranger
Olivier Daviaud	....	music producer
Olivier Daviaud	....	music programmer
Olivier Daviaud	....	musician: vocals/pianos/cellos
Albin De La Simone	....	musician (keyboards)
Angelo Debarre	....	musician: guitars/banjos
Tyron Donnie	....	musician (keyboards)
David DuPuy	....	musician: trumpet
Thibault Frisoni	....	musician: guitars
Martin Gamet	....	musician: electric/acoustic basses
Frederic Gastard	....	musician: saxophones
Estelle Goldfarb	....	musician (violin)
Gonzales	....	musician: pianos
Orkhan Hartlap	....	musician (drums)
Sylvaine Hélary	....	musician (flute)
Paul Jothy	....	musician (drums)
Halima Kadi	....	musician
Halima Kadi	....	vocalist
Pascale Kameni Kamga	....	musician
Pascale Kameni Kamga	....	vocalist
Christophe Lavergne	....	musician (drums & percussion)
Paul Lavergne	....	executive music producer
Paul Lavergne	....	music supervisor
Pierre le Bourgeois	....	musician (electric bass)
Thierry le Chauve	....	musician (electric bass)
Alban le Goff	....	musician: pianos
Stephane le Guerel	....	musician (drums)
Didier Lizé	....	music engineer: string orchestra
Mathias Malher	....	musician: trombone
Marie-Line Marolany	....	vocalist
Jason Meyer	....	musician (violin)
Celine Munan	....	musician
Celine Munan	....	vocalist
Sarah Murcia	....	musician (bass)
Nosfell	....	musician: guitars/vocals
Deyan Pavlov	....	conductor
Slim Pezin	....	musician: guitars
Didier Pouydesseau	....	music engineer
Francois Puyalto	....	musician: guitarron
Rodolphe Raffali	....	musician: guitars
Charles Rappoport	....	musician (violin)
Marc Sens	....	musician (electric bass)
Jacques Tellitocchi	....	musician (percussion)
Serge Teyssot-Gay	....	musician: guitars
Thibault Willigens	....	musician: guitars
Yom	....	musician: clarinets
Efim Zoubriski	....	musician (violin)
Elena Chouchkova	....	orchestra contractor (uncredited)
Olivier Daviaud	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Marie Barré	....	location scout
Tatiana Bouchain	....	production staff
Luc Bricault	....	location scout
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Xavier Douin	....	location scout
Guillaume Dreyfus	....	script consultant
Julien Etienne	....	additional assistant to director
Anne-Sophie Gledhill	....	french language coach
Lionel Guerrini	....	location scout
Marc Leroyer	....	armorer: weapons
Marie McFerran	....	assistant production accountant
Paul Onteniente	....	production administrator
Sophie Onteniente	....	assistant production administrator
Isabelle Ribis	....	script supervisor
Cécile Rodolakis	....	script assistant
Guillaume Sion	....	assistant unit manager

Production Companies

• One World Films (co-production)
• Studio 37 (co-production)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Lilou Films (co-production)
• Xilam (co-production) (as Xilam Films)
• Uni Etoile 6 (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• France Télévision (participation)
• Orange Cinéma Séries (participation)
• Région Ile-de-France (support)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmopolis (2010) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Klock Worx Company, The (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2010) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Music Box Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Prokino Filmverleih (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Universal (2010) (France) (DVD) (also Blu-ray)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• Bulgarian National Radio, Studio 1  music recorded at
• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra  string orchestra
• Ensemble Pizzicati  mandolin orchestra
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Madoro Music  music supervision
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  music production services
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  orchestra contractor
• Studio Acousti  music recorded at
• Studio Pigalle  music recorded at
• Studio de la Seine  music mixed at
• Studio de la Seine  music recorded at
• Studios Ferber  music recorded at

Also Known As:

"Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)" - France (original title)
"Gainsbourg" - International (English title)

Runtime:

130 min | UK:122 min (recut version)

Country:

France

Language:

French | English | Russian

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Sweden:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Japan:R15+ | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Rue de Verneuil, Paris 6, Paris, France

Company:

One World Films

Trivia:

Only two original Serge Gainsbourg songs are used on the soundtrack - "Je t'aime...Moi non plus" and "Valse de Melody". The rest were all recreated by Eric Elmosnino.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the 135 minute version of the film a nightclub reveler laughs about Gainsbourg being parodied on 'Guignols de l'info' (a French puppet show in which celebrities are mocked) but in the same scene Gainsbourg meets Bambou for the first time (his last wife). He married Bambou in 1981 but the Guignols were only created in 1988.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lucien Ginsburg:Can I put your hand in mine?
Girl:No, you're too ugly.

Movie Connections:

References The Swimming Pool (1969)

It's not big or clever to smoke, and it doesn't make you look cool … unless you happen to be Serge Gainsbourg … !

GAINSBOURG (Vie héroïque) … from the Studio Canal stable depicts the life story of Serge Gainsbourg from early childhood in the 1930's and 40's, until just before his death in 1991.

Born Lucien Ginsburg – and as an impressionable youth he felt outcast as being a Jewish child in Nazi occupied Paris in the 1940's – leading him to develop an imaginary friend who adopted an increasingly grotesque caricature / persona of himself that would lead him on to do more and more outrageous things to "rebel" his situation and to attempt to gain an element of "love" and "acceptance" from his notoriety.

A talented musician and artist, Lucien (who later was persuaded by friends to change his name to the more "acceptable" Serge Gainsbourg) became the darling of the social scene, charming his way through a succession of affairs with beautiful women – most notably Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Greco, and Jane Birkin.

I'm surprised that they didn't have a cigarette company sponsoring this movie – as the sheer amount of fags smoked during this film must be some sort of record!

After the showing of the film (at the Cineworld, Haymarket, London) we were treated to a Question and Answer session with the Writer / Director of this movie JOANN SFAR, who explained that the idea for the film came from his own graphic novel on Serge Gainsbourg penned by JOANN SFAR – and this pretty much formed the construct and ambiance of the movie – it is highly graphical and visual in it's content – much of it being fantasy visions and flashbacks within Gainsbourg's mind. Talking from the heart – Joann showed a real passion for the film, and was very open as to how the film was created.

Gainsbourg became the darling of French society with his talent and flair – but he also would court scandal and became infamous for the release of "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (which he originally wrote for Bardot) and the seemingly disrespectful reggae version of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", but love him or loath him – you couldn't ignore him ..

The whole movie is very atmospheric, and some of the casting of this film was inspired – especially the terrific performances by Eric Elmosnini in the title role, the stunning beautiful Laetitia Casta as Brigitte Bardot, Lucy Gordon as Jane Birkin, Anna Mouglalis as Juliette Greco and Kacey Mottet Klein as the young Lucien Ginsburg.

At the end credits of the film is a dedication "to Lucy" which referred to the actress Lucy Gordon – who (the director explained) played the part of Jane Birkin in the film – and who had tragically committed suicide during the final editing parts of the film – a talented actress – and a sad loss.

At 2 hours 10mins long, in French with English subtitles GAINSBOURG will not be everyone's cup of tea … but the film DOES keep you entertained and if you give it a chance, I'm sure that you will not be disappointed ...

It's not big or clever to smoke, and it doesn't make you look cool … unless you happen to be Serge Gainsbourg … !

GAINSBOURG is on general release from 30th July 2010