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.
Lucien Ginsburg, a rebellious French Jewish boy with a grotesque imagination, hates playing the piano like his father, a bar professional, and manages to be admitted to Montmartre Academy as a painter, where he befriends an SS officer who helps him survive the occupation. After the war, he chooses to become a performing artist and adopts the stage name Serge Gainsbourg. His unorthodox songs bring him success, even his parents's approval, and lots of lovers, yet his marriages are all utter failures.Written by
KGF Vissers
Lucy Gordon died when the film was in post production. This film is dedicated to her memory. See more »
Goofs
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. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Lucien Ginsburg:
Can I put your hand in mine?
Girl:
No, you're too ugly.
See more »
Crazy Credits
At the start of the end credits is a quote from writer-director Joann Sfar: "J'aime trop Gainsbourg pour le ramener au réel. Ce ne sont pas les vérités de Gainsbourg qui m'intéressent, ce sont ses mensonges." ("Gainsbourg transcends reality. I much prefer his lies to his truths.") See more »
Alternate Versions
England is the first territory to release a new cut of the film, running 14 minutes shorter than the previous version and is Joann Sfar's preferred one. Changes include -
Deletion of the scene where young Serge pleads in vain for his mother to buy him a gun to play with, even attempting to bribe her by saying he'll work harder on the piano. This precedes the scene where he steals the gun from the shop.
Deletion of the scene where Serge and Boris Vian walk to his apartment and the two lie in the road in an effort to stop a cab. While they wait Serge reveals he has a double that follows him around to which Vian replies his is a werewolf. However two policemen soon cut the conversation short. (This precedes Serge arriving at Boris's apartment and explains a later scene where a drunken Serge lies in the road before having the police escort to his concert)
Longer scene of the "Baby Pop" groupies, as Gainsbourg wakes up in bed with two naked women as his Mug joyously tosses bank statements at him revealing how rich he is from "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" alone! This is the original lead in to "Qui Est In Qui Est Out".
The groupies and party to "Qui Est In Qui Est Out" is cut short, removing Serge narrating about "the mouth being the primary sexual organ". His narration reveals the girls in the room he has slept with and how he was with them. It reveals Gainsbourg's occasional cruel streak and precedes the angry neighbor banging on the door.
After Gainsbourg recites La Marseillaise at the press conference, we then see young Serge repeating it and triumphantly raising his fist to the audience.
Deletion of a short exchange in the nightclub when a reveller comments to Gainsbourg about him being parodied on a French TV show. The new version removes these lines either because the show is unknown outside of France or because it doesn't tie in as being the night Gainsbourg met his wife Bambou as that TV show wouldn't air until years later. Sfar has said this new version will be the one further released worldwide.
While another biopic that was as crazy as that (about Bob Dylan) did not work for me, though it was (almost?) as hard to comprehend as this one, I enjoyed watching this one. Though I cannot put my finger on it or can I explain what made this movie work for me. It's not like I know the guy so good that I could tell you his biography. Sometimes I didn't even know that there was supposed to be a very famous (female) person on screen. Of course I realized who they were supposed to be after a few minutes, but still ...
This is very free and takes quite a few creative freedoms and decisions. But you will either like it for that or think it is just ... well rubbish to say the least. It's hard to really put a stamp on this, but if you can't get a hold of the movie after a few movies, it's better to listen to the urge to shut it off. Give it a try, if you are experimental and/or a fan ...
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
While another biopic that was as crazy as that (about Bob Dylan) did not work for me, though it was (almost?) as hard to comprehend as this one, I enjoyed watching this one. Though I cannot put my finger on it or can I explain what made this movie work for me. It's not like I know the guy so good that I could tell you his biography. Sometimes I didn't even know that there was supposed to be a very famous (female) person on screen. Of course I realized who they were supposed to be after a few minutes, but still ...
This is very free and takes quite a few creative freedoms and decisions. But you will either like it for that or think it is just ... well rubbish to say the least. It's hard to really put a stamp on this, but if you can't get a hold of the movie after a few movies, it's better to listen to the urge to shut it off. Give it a try, if you are experimental and/or a fan ...