Gigi

Vincente Minnelli - 1958
The style; long, long 'scope takes. A;though it is constantly framing, and moves in and out a bit, the impression I got was of a still camera. There is great economy in the number of camera set-ups. It is really all in the quite straightforward staging, and in the constant bounce of the musical soundtrack that keeps it moving.
The compostions ar long shots, thin characters never taking up much of the frame. They can almost sink into the background. Shot from often noticeably high or low angles, the background can be busy, and is always magnificently coloured, garish one might say, in its self-consciously ridiculous evocation of Paris. Self-cnscious beauty enters once or twice; there is real achievement through purely cinematic means. Not especially the near-last sequence at backlight night with fountains, absurd in its horses and grandeur, but also a silent move around a deep thought process which ends with a complete character reversal.
And self-conscious this film is in many ways. Chevalier's narration taks, references throughout to the ridiculousness of the situation, really foreground this. Also note the voiceovers used with lips pursed in the image. It is also perhaps the first time I have heard singing voiceovers.
As part of the mis-en-scene are the long takes fits into this, in many ways this film is Minnelli having a conversation with itself; the film surely has a lot more to do with Minnelli than any of its characters. It is in many ways a portrait of a confused, fetishistic man, obsessed with fantasy. There is a remarkable speech where he speaks, in of course a cheery tone, of the crapness of everyday life. Then he moves into his fantasy. But it can't wholly be fantasy; that is invaded by the fact that they are all basically alcholics, that we all know Chevalier probably has severe mental problems, that the papers are malicious, and, well, suicide is constantly on the go. His Gigi is meant to be a respite, but he can't decide how he wants her; reality, fantasy, or some insane mash up. Where does one go?
This isn't really a narrative film, though it's worth paying attention to the one that does operate, for a few moments here and there. The ending is completely nuts, utterly arbitrary, complete fantasy of course (right after the deeply perverse dragging her back). The sheer arbitrariness of this surely is Minnelli's persona shining through in some ways. For all the trappings, a really very single minded work.