JUST A GIGOLO

UK/Germany, 1979, 147 minutes, Colour.
David Bowie, Sydne Rome, Kim Novak, David Hemmings, Maria Schell, Curd Jurgens, Marlene Dietrich.
Directed by David Hemmings.

Just a Gigolo is an unusual film, written by Ennio de Concini. The Italian-born writer had been involved in screenwriting since 1947 with one hundred and fifty-seven credits in his CV. These include such a wide variety of films as Hitler: The Last Ten Days (which he directed), the erotic film of World War Two, Salon Kitty, and the remake of the charming children’s film Marcellino.

The film was directed by actor David Hemmings who directed a number of films during the 1970s and in the 1980s made The Survivor in Australia and The Race for the Yankee Zephyr in New Zealand. His subsequent career as director during the 80s and 90s was in television.

This film focuses on Germany before and after World War One. It offers a different version of the Weimar Republic. Audiences are more familiar with films about social disturbance than the rise of Hitler or films showing the decadence like Cabaret.

David Bowie is a soldier who is released from service after World War One and finds the only way he can survive is as a gigolo. The women in the film include Sidne Rome, Kim Novak as well as Maria Schell as his mother. The film also has the last appearance of Marlene Dietrich who sings the title song.

In some ways the film is serious, in other ways it has the touch of parody of the period and films about the period, also utilising the film techniques that were popular in Germany during the silent era.

The film is a blend of both hope and despair. It is interesting to see David Bowie in such a serious acting role, although he had appeared in The Man Who Fell To Earth and was about to appear in The Hunger.

1. The meaning of the title? Its tone and emphases? The song and its lyrics and indication of themes? The ironic title and the indication of the type of film and treatment?

2. The film's view of itself ? the re-creation of Berlin in the 1920s, the stars and their roles? The ironic touches and humour of the screenplay, parody? The tradition of films about Germany in the early 20th. century, the origins of Nazism? The opulence of the film and its appearance? The ironic tone?

3. What did the film have to say about Germany, Nazism? Germany and its people in the 1920s? Their attitude towards life, towards war, towards survival, toward the origins of World War ll? For whom was the film made? The purpose of making this film?

4. Production notes indicate that there were disputes about the editing oft the film. Is this evident in the finished product? The overall effect especially in the latter part of the film? The cumulative effect of satire parody, social comment?

5. The effect of the re-creation of Berlin in the 20s? The attention to period detail? The German location filming? Costumes, décor, buildings, street scenes? The set pieces illustrating the times. the cabaret, promenades throughout the city, riots, parties, cinema of the time? The importance of the songs and the atmosphere of the score? The art tone of the film and the importance of its visual appearance?

6. A film about films? The use of the techniques of the contemporary filmmaking eg. the use of silent film techniques for 1918 and the war, the use of the speed of silent films for jerky and awkward atmosphere, the visual impression of German films of the time? The tradition of Cabaret and its imitators? The use of the styles of musicals - especially the Hollywood musicals of the 20s? The effect of this cinema comment on the period and its issues?

7. The structure of the film: the prologue and the mock-heroic atmosphere of the trenches, the devices of the passing of the years and the captions, the two ladies and their walking around Berlin and their ironic comments on society and on Paul's behaviour? The final comments of the ladies? A distancing technique yet involving the audience?

8. How important was the audience's knowledge of the history of the times: the Germans and their attitudes towards World War One, the motivation for the war, the Kaiser and loyalty? The atmosphere of elegance and its superficiality? Germans surviving after World War One and poverty in Berlin? Decadence? The work of the socialists and street revolution? The movement of so many Germans towards America especially towards Hollywood? The importance of likening the Germans of the time to gigolos, with the options to excel in war if there were a war or in death? The breeding-ground for Hitler and the Nazis? Audience knowledge of the history to appreciate the ironies in the telling of the story?

9. The introduction of Paul, as played by David Bowie, his appearance, manner? His presence at the opening, his academic training, war and honour, presence in the trenches, the captain, the facing of death? The possibility of death and his ironic survival? The farce of his receiving French honours and the discovery of the truth? The point being made about World War One? French and Germans (the irony of David Bowie's and David Hemming's very English presence and accent?)

10. The impact of his return, post-war Berlin, hunger, socialists in the streets, Cille and her songs and acting, Paul and his carrying the pig, people's observation? His return home, the encounter with Aunt Hilde and the residents? The discovery of his mother and her having to work, her presence in the baths and the atmosphere and look? His going to work there? His own room and his return home? His inability to adapt to this kind of work after the war?

11. The character of Cille and her friendship and love for Paul? Her presence in the streets, the riots, her love for Paul, seeing him at home, her song and dance routines in the burlesque cafes? Her presence at the banquets and the mockery? Her liaison with the Prince, her going to Hollywood? The presentation of her as a Hollywood star, her marrying the Prince and the lavish wedding? The irony of her spending her wedding night with Paul? Her presence at the end dressed in the bridal gown with his lying in state? The point about Cille and the transition of socialist to bourgeois? The woman in post-war Germany?

12. The portrait of the Captain, his old and traditional values, his charging, and refusing to acknowledge the armistice? His reappearance after the war, the boxing, his homosexual friend, the homosexual attitudes of the Captain? The friend fighting with Paul? The Captain and his platitudes, his causes, his power, the demagogue and the people responding to his slogans without thinking, his talk about a new Reich, his attitude towards women and insulting them, his presence at the meal and the insults? The irony of his headquarters underground, in the tunnel with the trains going by? His emerging literally from the underground? His presence at the party and his putsch, their violence? The death imagery that he held up? His being the symbol of Hitler? How effective?

13. Paul and his career during the 1920s, as a symbol of the Germans In the time? Drifting, his dreams, his potential, his relationship with his aunt, the changes in Cille, his love for his mother? The significance of his father and his catatonic state? His dependence on the Captain and his appearance and disappearance? his loyalty to him and yet his wandering away? The image that he presented? In his appearance almost as an icon of the times? The ironies of his becoming a gigolo, the interview with the Baroness and her employing him, the significance of her questions? His skill in being a gigolo, his being hired out? The encounter with the Prince and the ironies of the palace? The encounter with the widow and his presence at the funeral with the guns and the battle at the funeral? His liaison with the widow, clothes? His return? His being employed to father the widow's child? His presence at Cille's wedding after watching her in the film, spending the night with her? Hts emergence from this experience to death? The images of him walking in the shadows and lights of the street? The ironies of his death? Image, character, the Germany that he represented? Its futility? and what would have happened had he survived?

14. The portrayal of his mother, her having to go to work, her fussing and love for him, her pride in him? Her work in the baths, her presence at home, the banquet for the Captain and its failure? Her lack of comprehension, her lack of understanding of the Nazis? Her inability to understand at the end? The father, the speeches about him, his expectations of death by a bullet? Why did he turn and look at his son at the end? The significance of this look?

15. The personality of the Baroness, her interrogation, her speeches? Her comments on the morals of Germany and exploiting these? The lyrics of the song and its reprisal during the final credits? Marlene Dietrich and her presence in the German films of the 1920s, The Blue Angel? A symbol of Mother Germany? An proprietress of the Hotel Eden, the men that she had working for her, their manners, the elderly ladies that they served?

16. The character of the widow, Kim Novak’s presence in the film, the mocking of the character of the widow? her behaviour with Paul, the funeral, the farce and the battle? Paul comforting her? The clothes? The liaison and his living with her? Her fashionable marriage and the fathering of her child with the husband looking on?

17. Comment on the portrait of changing Germany during the 1920s, the commentaries of the two ladies, the superficiality?

18. The background of cabarets and their style, burlesque, the transvestite tones, the garish and decadent tones, the Hotel Eden and the dancing? The films and the Hollywood style-parties?

19. The contrast with the gangs, the neo-Nazis, their intrusion into the party? The mindlessness of the followers of the Captain, the riots? The streets of Berlin and the end and the killing of Paul? The neo-Nazis and the death of old Germany?

20. The film as a spoof, parody? Insight by spoof? A matter of taste for appreciation?