Les Auteurs Sans Chemise
Serge Gainsbourg does his bit for equality.
Still haven’t watched any of Serge’s cinematic works, but I have one or two lined up. He might qualify for The Forgotten… I mean, everybody knows who he is, but only lately have I heard of anybody who takes him seriously as a filmmaker. The idea that in addition to his musical genius and impressive debauchery he was also an ace filmmaker is an appealing one.
And I certainly like the idea of movies with Gainsbourg scores. I think I’d like most of the films I don’t like a whole lot better if they had Gainsbourg soundtracks. Might not work for WATCHMEN, but what the hell, try it! Something’s gotta work!
March 20, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I would warmly recommend at least one of Gainsbourg’s cinematic oeuvre. JE T’AIME, MOI NON PLUS is a gorgeously perverse love story about an androgynous gay man (Joe Dallesandro) who falls in love with a boyish straight woman (Jane Birkin).
A friend and I went to see it at the old Scala fleapit in London, and wept hysterically all they way through because it was OUR STORY. The actors are stunning, the music is catchy and the South of France makes a surprisingly convincing stand-in for the back roads of redneck America.
Magnifique!
March 20, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Serge was a phenomenon. “Filmmaker” no more decribes him than “songwriter” or “actor” — though he did all three.
There are clips of his great TV musical Anna on YouTube, starring Anna karina, Jean-Claude Brialy and Serge — avec la participation special de Marianne Faithfull.
I aso reccomend in the very strongest terms I can muster Romance of a Horse Thief — Abraham Polansky’s last film starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallah, Lani kazan and . . . . (wait for it) Serge and Jane!
Abe had a ball directing that mad crew.
March 20, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Here are Serge and Jane with another version of “Comic Strip”
March 20, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Correction
March 20, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Here’s Brialy doing “Boomerang” from Anna.
March 20, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Here’s Nico (of all people) singing the title song from Striptease by Serge.
March 20, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Here’s the great opening scene of Blier’s Tenue de Soiree, perfectly underscored by Serge’s music.
March 20, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Wow! Blier and Gainsbourg are a great sleazy/poetic match.
I have a disc of Je T’Aime… so that one must get an airing soon.
March 20, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Another very important Serge Gainsbourg contribution — his daughter Charlotte. Here she is with the great Johnny Depp.
March 20, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Here’s Jane Birkin’s website.
March 21, 2009 at 12:16 am
Bonnie and Clyde
March 21, 2009 at 12:22 am
“a Boris Vian”
March 21, 2009 at 12:57 am
Cannabis
March 21, 2009 at 1:03 am
More cannabis:
March 25, 2009 at 3:08 pm
To David Ehrenstein,
You’re clearly a great fan of/authority on Serge and Jane. Have you seen their film SLOGAN, which is out now on DVD in the USA?
I understand it was the first time they worked together, so it’s definitely of historical interest. However, I’ve heard mixed reports about the film itself. Do you think it’s worth a look?
I’ll take your word for it either way.