Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

Year:

2010

Duration:

135 min | UK:122 min (recut version)

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

IMDB rate:

6.9

Director:

Joann Sfar

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Details

Country: France

Release Date: 2010-01-20

Filming Locations: Rue de Verneuil, Paris 6, Paris, France

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $25,189 (USA) (4 September 2011)

Gross: $230,311 (USA) (11 December 2011)

Cast

Actor

Character

Laetitia Casta

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

Mylène Jampanoï

Eric Elmosnino

Serge Gainsbourg

Lucy Gordon

Jane Birkin

Doug Jones

La Gueule

Anna Mouglalis

Juliette Gréco

Sara Forestier

France Gall

Kacey Mottet Klein

Lucien Ginsburg

Razvan Vasilescu

Joseph Ginsburg (le père)

Dinara Drukarova

Olga Ginsburg (la mère) (as Dinara Droukarova)

Philippe Katerine

Boris Vian

Deborah Grall

Elisabeth Levizky

Yolande Moreau

Fréhel

Ophélia Kolb

Le Modèle

Claude Chabrol

Le Producteur Musique de Gainsbourg

François Morel

Le Directeur de l'Internat

Philippe Duquesne

Lucky Sarcelles

Angelo Debarre

Le Guitariste Gitan

Grégory Gadebois

Phyphy (as Grégory Gadebois de la Comédie Française)

Alice Carel

Judith

Joann Sfar

Georges Brassens

Orphée Silard

Lilane Ginsburg /

Lucile Vezier

Jacqueline Ginsburg / Kate

Le Quatuor

Les Frères Jacques

Jean-Claude Camors

Frère Jacques 1

Laurent Vercambre

Frère Jacques 2

Pierre Ganem

Frère Jacques 3

Jean-Yves Lacombe

Frère Jacques 4

Roger Mollien

Le Père de France Gall (as Roger Mollien de la Comédie Française)

Hortense Pol

La Fille de Judith

Arnaud Churin

Le Chef des Pompiers

Guillaume Viry

Ingénieur du Son Jamaïque

Oliver Cywie

Gosse Internat 1 (as Olivier Cywie)

Kevin Loubarere

Gosse !nternat 2

Thomas Larsonnier

Gosse Internat 3

Vincent Colombe

Le Flic Nazi Rock 1

Gilles Verlant

Le Flic Nazi Rock 2

Pierre Brichese

Le Chauffeur de la Fleetwood (as Piero Brichese)

Jean-Pierre Gos

Le Responsable Préfecture

Denis Falgoux

L'Employé Préfecture

Franc Bruneau

La Planton Brochaut

Maurice Antoni

Le Directeur de l'Orphelinat

Camille Lupfer

La Petite Fille Plage

Jacqueline Staup

La Dame Rousse

Caroline Tillette

La Fille en Rouge

Jérôme Chappatte

Le Commissaire Priseur

Marc Du Pontavice

Le Policier Vian 1

Didier Lupfer

Le Policier Vian 2

Laurent Lévy

Le Musicien Classique (as Laurent Levy)

Chloé Coulloud

Marilou Coiffeuse

Lisa Jacobs

La Journaliste

Rosette

La Vendeuse Confiserie

Stéphane Batut

Le Client Cabaret Mme Arthur

Montse Ribé

La Gueule (enfant)

Frédéric Mpampa

Enfant Jamaïcain 1

Jahmal Noel

Enfant IJmaïcain 2

Janyem Perrin-Cebin

Enfant Jamaïcain 3

Daniel Isoppo

Le Journaliste France-Soir

Jeremy Vanhese

L'Imitateur (as Jeremy Van Hese)

Chloé Dumas

Natalie Wood

Gonzales

Pianiste Night-Club (uncredited)

Mathias Malzieu

Musicien Nazi Rock (uncredited)

Riad Sattouf

Le Petit Modèle de Fréhel (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The project was originally envisioned with Serge Gainsbourg's real life daughter, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg to play him in keeping with the film's surreal and fairytale-esque tone. Six months into rehearsals and preparation Gainsbourg pulled out telling director Joann Sfar, it was proving to emotionally painful and he would have to make his "beautiful film" without her. Sfar had always approached the film with her in mind and was ready to abort the project when fate lead him to Eric Elmosnino.

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The scene in the film where Serge Gainsbourg asks France Gall if she would like him to write her a 'dirty song' and then describes a song about a girl who loves sucking lollipops references the song "Les Sucettes" which he wrote for Gall in 1966. France Gall didn't initially understand the lyric's double-meanings and was appalled when it was pointed out after the song's widespread popularity and still refuses to sing it to this day.

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Only two original Serge Gainsbourg songs are used on the soundtrack - "Je t'aime...Moi non plus" and "Valse de Melody". The rest were all recreated by Eric Elmosnino.

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Goofs

The young Gainsbourg is shown drawing left-handed, but the adult Gainsbourg becomes right-handed.

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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.

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Quotes

Serge Gainsbourg: You want me to write you a dirty song?

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La Gueule: What's the matter? You don't recognize your own ugly face?

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Olga Ginsburg: Your sisters didn't cry as much as you did for that dog. You cried more for that dog than for your own poor father.

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Faq

Q

What are the differences between the International Version and the French Version?

A

The International Version is paced differently. A few missing frames here, a few missing seconds there, a removed dialog. Only in a very few cases, an entire scene has been removed. And even less often, there's slightly alternate footage; barely visible to the naked eye. As a result, a different master has to have been used. There's only one scene that lacks footage longer than a minute. All in all, it sums up to more than 100 differences. Although there are some really unfortunate differences like a much longer sequence with Bois Vian or the analysis of the groupies, the International Version is still watchable. But if anyone speaks some French and gets the opportunity to watch the French Version, that chance should be taken. A detailed comparison between both versions with pictures can be found here.

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