Gigi Movie Review

Gigi (1958)

Rent Gigi on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the novella (paid link) 
Written by: Alan Jay Lerner (screen play), Colette (based on the novella by), Niven Busch (uncredited)
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli, Charles Walters (uncredited)
Starring: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan
Rated: G
Watch the trailer

Plot
In this musical, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training, weary of the conventions of Parisian society,begin a platonic friendship which leads to both of them developing feelings for the other.

Verdict
It's a love story with an unlikely introduction. The movie decries marriage as playboys employ courtesans instead of settling down. While common for the time, it's certainly a mark of a misogynistic time period. We follow the ebb and flow of this relationship as Gaston and Gigi navigate their complicated connection. While I find older movies difficult to enjoy due to style and conventions, this one was especially boring. It doesn't examine this dynamic, instead loudly proclaiming that a woman's worth can only be evaluated by men.
Skip it.

Review
This won the Oscar for best picture, but it came out the same year as Vertigo (1958), which wasn't even nominated. I would guess that illustrates more how advanced Vertigo was as opposed to how misguided nominations and voting were. From a modern standpoint, it's an egregious miss.

Our introduction is provided by Honoré Lachaille (Maurice Chevalier), an old man enthralled with young women. It seems especially egregious today as he sings, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls." It's a misogynistic time, and mistresses were common in 1900 Paris when this takes place. Honoré states men choose not to get married while women that don't, can't. It's wild and it makes this feel incredibly dated.

Gigi (Leslie Caron) is being trained by her aunt as a courtesan. She's young and carefree, but she doesn't like that any relationship she has is only a business transaction instead of true affection.

Leslie Caron plays Gigi

Honoré's nephew Gaston (Louis Jourdan) dumps his girlfriend when she cheats on him. He in turn embarrasses her, and the movie implies she fakes a suicide which is problematic on its own. Honoré congratulates Gaston on the first woman to attempt suicide over him. That's just gross. It's a complete lack of regard for women. This movie treats them as objects from beginning to end. While Gaston wants to leave the city, uncle Honoré pushes him to stay in Paris and embrace the part of the playboy despite how he feels. Granted mistresses were the most common in France in 1900, I wondered if this movie was some kind of strange wish fulfillment or a stereotype of France.

Gaston begins spending time with Gigi, and I could easily guess where that would go. Gigi's aunt wants to train her to be Gaston's mistress while he's away. When he returns, he insults her new style. It had to be that he liked her or and didn't like the idea of Gigi being just a courtesan. Gaston soon realizes that's it, and that he does genuinely like Gigi. Despite that, he proposes an arrangement with the aunt while also telling Gigi he loves her. Gigi rightfully thinks he's toying with her, and that he's just telling her what she wants to hear so he can get what he wants. Gigi does like him, agreeing to the arrangement despite her reservations.

Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan play Gaston, Gigi

When Gaston takes her out, he's unnerved that people think she's only his mistress. Honoré jokes that she's such a good courtesan that she'll keep him entertained for at least a few months. Gaston rankles at the statement implying she's disposable and immediately takes her home. She's not sure why, thinking he's upset. All of this could have been rectified with a society that treats everyone like full fledged human beings, or at the least some communication about how Gaston or Gigi feel about each other. The big conclusion provides a happy ending for all, but by that point I was all but checked out.

I don't always care for older movies, the style and culture can be drastically different from the modern movies with which I'm more familiar. Likewise, the innovations early movies pioneered have been mimicked, copied, and improved. Usually I can see why an older movie was popular, but this is especially boring. This doesn't explore the dynamic or even comment on it. Women's only purpose is to provide value to men. I couldn't help but check the time frequently, thinking surely this has to be nearing the conclusion; no such luck.