GIGI

US, 1958, 115 minutes, Colour.
Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold.
Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Gigi is an attractive Lerner and Loewe musical, based on a story by French novelist Collette. It won the Oscar for the best film of 1958 and an Oscar for its director Vincente Minnelli. Minnelli had been prominent in Hollywood since the mid-40s, noted for his musicals such as Meet Me In St. Louis and other musicals with his then wife Judy Garland, An American in Paris and The Bandwagon. Minnelli was also noted for colourful melodramas such as The Bad and the Beautiful, Some Came Running, Home from the Hill, Two Weeks in Another Town. Minnelli was not to make so many films in the 60s and rarely in the 70s, eg. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever and A Matter of Time with Ingrid Bergman and his daughter Liza.

Leslie Caron, who was introduced in An American in Paris and was a very effective dancer, is very attractive in the leading role. She is supported by Louis Jourdan and Maurice Chevalier. (Two years later they were also to appear in similar styles of roles in Can Can). Beautifully photographed in Cinemascope, the film is noted for its sets, period re-creation and costumes. The Lerner and Loewe score was adapted for the screen and takes its place among their other successful musicals: Paint Your Wagon, Brigadoon, Camelot, The Little Prince, and, of course, My Fair Lady.

1. The entertainment value of this film? Its multiple awards including eleven Oscars? Its reputation and its justification?

2. The quality of the entertainment and enjoyment? In the 50s, now? Its charm?

3. The contribution of colour, Panavision, Paris sets, interiors, Paris exteriors as the Bois du Bologne? Cecil Beaton's costumes and production design?

4. The quality of the Lerner & Loewe score? Of the music, the lyrics? Their illustration of character, themes: Thank Heaven for Little Girls, It's a Bore, Gaston's Suspicious Song, I Remember It Well, The Night They Invented Champagne, The Maxime's Gossip Song, Gigi? The use of the background themes throughout the film: the development from Thank Heaven for Little Girls, Remember It Well, the Gigi theme?

5. The importance of the stars, the authentic French atmosphere, song, dance, comedy, suave hero etc.?

6. The importance of the origins of the novel by Colette, French memories of 1900, a French approach to manners and morality? A comedy of manners at the turn of the century? The gentility of the old world? An important atmosphere for characters and themes?

7. Honore as chorus, Maurice Chevalier and his style, his introduction and narrative throughout the film, his own particular French values, his explanation of himself as a bachelor, with romance? His liaisons and romantic memories? His bond with Mamita? The irony and humour of the song I Remember It Well? His relationship with Gaston, his advice and help? The Maxime's sequences with his eye on the girls and the parties? His presence for the happy ending? His contribution to the atmosphere of the film and audience response.

8. The focus on Gigi and the film's attitude towards her? Audience response to Leslie Caron and her style, as a young girl, changing as a woman? To Gigi within her environment and to family, France, expectations? The presuppositions of the world in which she lived? Her being singled out as a girl playing at the beginning, her relationship with her grandmother and her grandmother's training of her, her mother neglecting her and only being heard in her singing? The importance of Aunt Alicia and her training of Gigi to be a courtesan? The spontaneity of her friendship with Gaston? The details of her training by Aunt Alicia, the pandering to male pleasure, cigars, coffee, being entirely subordinate and subservient? Gigi and her gauche response to the lessons? Her awkwardness, drinking too much wine, laughing? The spontaneity of her outings with Gaston, the skating, the seaside? The Night They Invented Champagne? The transition and her growing up, her being manipulated by her family, her being taken out for buying dresses? The putting to her of the choice to become Gaston's mistress and her blunt comment on what this meant? Her being hurt? The reasons for her change? The awkwardness of the outing at Maxime's and her studied behaviour? Her unhappiness and the joy of Gaston's proposal? How strong a delineation of the character of such a girl? The themes of her growing up, her place in society, love and marriage, freedom?

9. The character of Mamita as belonging to this world, the contrast with Alicia? Their memories of affairs, Mamita and her almost marrying Ohonore and her rejection of his infidelity? Her humour, her preparing Gigi for Gaston, and yet her bewilderment and old-fashioned attitudes? Alicia and her living with her memories, her snobbish elegance?

10. Gaston as hero. a rich young man, his emphasis on being bored, his wealth and his business? The irony of the presentation of his affair, his suspicions at the skating rink, at Maxime's and his Suspicious song? The melodrama of the would-be suicide and the ironic comments by Alicia and the others? His spontaneity with Gigi, the outings, the holidays, The Night They Invented Champagne? His not being aware of the change? The proposition and his presuppositions about it, the humiliation for Gigi, the failure of Maxime's, his walking through Paris and making a decision, the happiness of the ending?

11. The minor characters eg. Manuel and his assisting of Ohonore? People in society?

12. The kind of world that was presented, its surface, its depth or lack of it? The values and manners that it stood by? Individuals within this world? A world of wealth and gaiety and superficiality? Highlighting the need for values and sincerity?