Zazie dans le Métro (1960)

This merry farce depicts a satirical view of the French society: Ten-year-old Zazie has to stay two days with her relatives in Paris, so that her mother can spend some time with her lover. ... See full summary »

Director:

Louis Malle

Writers:

Raymond Queneau (novel), Louis Malle

Stars:

Catherine Demongeot, Philippe Noiret, Hubert Deschamps

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Demongeot	...	Zazie
Philippe Noiret	...	Oncle Gabriel
Hubert Deschamps	...	Turandot
Carla Marlier	...	Albertine
Annie Fratellini	...	Mado
Vittorio Caprioli	...	Trouscaillon
Jacques Dufilho	...	Ferdinand Grédoux
Yvonne Clech	...	Madame Mouaque
Odette Piquet	...	La mère de Zazie
Nicolas Bataille	...	Fédor
Antoine Roblot	...	Charles
Marc Doelnitz	...	M. Coquetti
Jacques Gheusi	...	Le gérant
Christine Howard
Louis Lalanne	...	L'amant de Jeanne

Storyline

This merry farce depicts a satirical view of the French society: Ten-year-old Zazie has to stay two days with her relatives in Paris, so that her mother can spend some time with her lover. However Zazie escapes her uncle's custody and sets out to explore Paris on her own.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | little girl | uncle niece relationship | discovery | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

Liberte...Insanite...Hilarite

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Russian

Release Date:

20 November 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zazie dans le Métro

Filming Locations:

Franstudio, Joinville-le-pont, Val-de-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To accomplish the scene when Zazie and Uncle Gabriel walks down the street while the rest of Paris zips by at hyper speed, Director Louis Malle had his cinematographer under crank the movie camera allowing only 12 frames of film to pass through the camera each second. The typical speed is 24 frames per second. Then, he had Zazie and Uncle Gabriel walk in slow motion while the people in the background walked at a regular pace. Then, when the film is projected at the usual speed of 24 frames per second, the stars appear to be walking at a normal rate while the people in the background appear to be be zipping by.

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Goofs

When the policeman is harassing the sexy blonde lady with the blue dress, the crew is visible on the windows of one of the cars passing by.

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Quotes

Zazie: [in a Paris flea market] ... they got American military surpluses, too?
Trouscaillon: Of course! And great French fries, made right that afternoon.
Zazie: I'll take the American military surpluses.
Trouscaillon: They got mussels, too. That don't screw you all up.
Zazie: They got those American blue jeans?
Trouscaillon: Of course! And their compasses too, and that's not all...
Zazie: Fuck all that, I just want the blue jeans.

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Connections

Edited into Le Paris de Zazie (2005)

User Reviews

That's how Roadrunner cartoon would look like on caffeine

Frankly, in the world of corny jokes and lightweight punchlines of the Hollywood comedies I hunger for the good old French physical comedy. Malle is one of the best ju-ju men in the business and in Zazie laughs never stop. Actually, in this movie anything ever stops as people are running rather then walking and driving rather than sitting still. The story is quite simple, a little girl is sent by her mother to Paris to her uncle and the only thing she wants really is to see subway (metro). Of course she runs away, of course everybody starting after her, of course there are some dumb cops and sinister-looking strangers... Or maybe I got it all wrong for having laughed so hard I could not read the subtitles (and my French would barely guide me through a menu in some bistro). Think of it as a live action Roadrunner movie on caffeine...