{"id":30524,"date":"2013-04-04T11:26:23","date_gmt":"2013-04-04T18:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30524"},"modified":"2021-02-05T20:35:47","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T03:35:47","slug":"gigi-1958-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30524","title":{"rendered":"Gigi (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They&#8217;ve pounded into my head I&#8217;m backward for my age &#8212; but I know what all this means.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Poster-193x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Poster-193x300.jpg 193w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Poster-82x128.jpg 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Poster.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn turn-of-the-century Paris, a teen (Leslie Caron) living with her grandmother (Hermione Gingold) is groomed by her great-aunt (Isabel Jeans) to be a courtesan &#8212; but when a family friend (Louis Jourdan) takes a romantic interest in young Gigi (Caron), she begins to question her future.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Coming-of-Age<\/li>\n<li>Cross-Class Romance<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Leslie Caron Films<\/li>\n<li>Louis Jourdan Films<\/li>\n<li>Maurice Chevalier Films<\/li>\n<li>May-December Romance<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Vincente Minnelli Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes &#8212; and I agree &#8212; that Vincente Minnelli&#8217;s &#8220;exuberant musical, the winner of nine Academy Awards including Best Picture&#8221;, features a &#8220;bright and witty&#8221; script (based on <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gigi\">Colette&#8217;s 1944 novella<\/a>), &#8220;appealing&#8221; stars, &#8220;colorful costumes and sets [evocative of] Paris [in] 1900&#8221;, and &#8220;some charming songs&#8221; &#8212; including Peary&#8217;s (and my) favorite, &#8220;I Remember It Well&#8221;, as Gingold and Maurice Chevalier &#8220;warmly sing of their long-ago romance&#8221;. Indeed, I was pleasantly surprised to revisit this film for the first time in over 20 years (I last saw it as a teenage ff), and to find that I appreciate it much more now that I&#8217;m better able to understand the nuances of its social milieu. Without a grasp of the &#8220;Belle Epoque&#8221; societal norms that Colette was depicting in her story, it&#8217;s difficult to understand the basic premise of the story, or to fully appreciate the type of dilemma faced by Gigi and Jourdan&#8217;s &#8220;Gaston&#8221; &#8212; so younger film fanatics should be duly forewarned.<\/p>\n<p>Storyline aside, however, the film &#8212; often designated as the last great MGM musical &#8212; works on nearly all other levels. To elaborate on Peary&#8217;s points above, it also features excellent use of authentic outdoor locales in France, vibrant Technicolor cinematography, and songs that are integrated seamlessly into the narrative (I&#8217;m especially fond of how &#8220;Waltz at Maxim&#8217;s [She&#8217;s Not Thinking of Me]&#8221;, with Eva Gabor as Jourdan&#8217;s mistress, is handled). Meanwhile, most of the cast is top-notch, with Caron in particular demonstrating a tremendous leap in acting ability since her 19-year-old debut in Minnelli&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30481\"><em>An American in Paris<\/em> (1951)<\/a>. She manages to effectively portray Gigi both as an innocent adolescent and as an emergent courtesan; we can easily understand why Jourdan would fall for her. Jourdan (second choice after Dirk Bogarde, who would have been wonderful) capably embodies bored Gaston (his clever duet with Chevalier &#8212; &#8220;It&#8217;s a Bore&#8221; &#8212; allows us to understand his character within just a few minutes); but I&#8217;ll admit I find Chevalier &#8212; especially as he sings &#8220;Thank Heaven for Little Girls&#8221; (my least favorite number) &#8212; a tad creepy. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Leslie Caron as Gigi<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Caron.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Caron.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Caron.png 789w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Caron-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Caron-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Hermione Gingold as Madame Alvarez<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Gingold.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Gingold.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Gingold.png 789w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Gingold-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Gingold-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Lovely musical numbers &#8212; especially Gingold and Chevalier&#8217;s duet &#8220;I Remember It Well&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-I-Remember-it-Well.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-I-Remember-it-Well.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-I-Remember-it-Well.png 789w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-I-Remember-it-Well-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-I-Remember-it-Well-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine period production design and costumes<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Period-Costumes.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Period-Costumes.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Period-Costumes.png 789w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Period-Costumes-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Period-Costumes-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Vibrant Technicolor cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Technicolor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Technicolor.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Technicolor.png 789w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Technicolor-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Technicolor-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent use of authentic Parisian locales<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Settings.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Settings.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"336\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Settings.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Settings-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Gigi-Settings-300x140.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an Oscar-winning classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051658\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/05\/16\/archives\/screen-gigi-fair-lady-of-filmdom-leslie-caron-stars-in-colette.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/36943\/gigi\/\">DVD Talk Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2890gigi.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/12586\/gigi#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/gigi\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve pounded into my head I&#8217;m backward for my age &#8212; but I know what all this means.&#8221; Synopsis: In turn-of-the-century Paris, a teen (Leslie Caron) living with her grandmother (Hermione Gingold) is groomed by her great-aunt (Isabel Jeans) to be a courtesan &#8212; but when a family friend (Louis Jourdan) takes a romantic interest in young Gigi (Caron), she begins to question her future. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Coming-of-Age Cross-Class Romance Historical Drama Leslie Caron Films Louis Jourdan&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30524\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30524"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69129,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30524\/revisions\/69129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}