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

In the scene where the characters are looking down from the balcony at the cab driver and the waitress embracing, after the line: 'Okay, hurry up', there is an overhead shot of a man eating at a table. Next to him, there is an issue of the October 1959 issue of Mad Magazine.

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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: Are you a homosessual?
Charles: I look like a fruit?
Zazie: No, you're the driver.
Charles: You see?
Zazie: See what? So why aren't you married?
Charles: Can't find my dream girl.
Zazie: You're a snob.

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Connections

Referenced in Amélie (2001)

User Reviews

Brilliancy and annoyance all in one.

"Zazie dans le Metro" is the kind of movie that owes its relative positive outcomes more to its style than to its comedy of errors kind of humor. Having been made as an American film and this would be considered a disaster. Why? It would lose in style, technique, good cultural references and meaningful message. Don't be fooled, "Zazie" has a message in between scenes. Despite an apparent lovely child as the main character and the apparent comedic routine of the film, this is more inclined to be a grown up's picture than one suitable for children - they can watch but the easily impressible ones in the audience will keep asking their parents the meaning some of the words used by the girl, many of them cursing. So, if you want to insist on watching this with a kid be warned that you're going to be just like the adult characters of this explaining everything to the kid.

It tells the story of a 12 year-old country girl (Catherine Demongeot) who is left with her uncle (Philippe Noiret), a performer artist, while her mother is spending a lovely time with her boyfriend. She flees from the house with the intent of taking the subway, but that plan fails because they're on a strike, so the rest of the movie is her sort of understandable childish behavior against the fact, so she explores the city and creates a lot of confusion against anyone she sees.

Cartoonish, filled of speed-up images, running as if it were an imitation of a Bugs Bunny gag, "Zazie dans le Métro" would be an interesting film if it had some coherence rather than just creating images just for fun. An adventurous piece about a girl discovering herself and learning about what growing up means, ultimate message of the film, would be great. The clownish tone of it was distractive and flat. I was reminded of "Amèlie", since it shared a young female's magical and unusual vision around a big city, it's her small world colliding very beautifully with other persons, other realities, forming a reflexive image about society. Both are colorful and fast paced works, carried with visual style and splendorous editing tricks. "Amèlie" is better because it has somewhere to go while "Zazie" is pure slapstick, losing humor the more it progresses.

It's not a bad movie, but it's not so dignifying of having a terrific director like Louis Malle writing and directing it and let's face it, humor doesn't suit him. His greatest works are all dramas (see "Au Revoir Les Enfants" or "Damage"). It's a good picture, indeed, genius in its creative compositions, elaborated sequences (the breathless one in the Eiffel Tower takes the cake), paying an homage to the silent era but it's a real tough break to endure the annoying little brat, her mannerisms and language (not believable in the 1960's context) which isn't funny or humored because she's mistreating people who are good to her and undeserving of such treatment.

I liked what I saw even though I laughed only once or twice. Mr. Noiret was a class act and made this a very enjoyable film along with the great locations. And don't be fooled by the false advertising, she only spends ten seconds in the subway and doesn't even notice. 6/10