My review: Gainsbourg (Sfar’s film)

by Pier Marton | Jul 12, 2011 | Antisemitism, Art, Ego, France, Human Rights, Humor, Jewish, Juif, Poet, Politics, Racism, Review, Shoah

Besides the homage to Gainsbourg’s musical talents, this film about one of France most famous singers is, as it should be, made by a connoisseur, a (multi-talented) French Jew, Joann Sfar, who understands what stands behind Gainsbourg’s purchase of the original manuscript for the Marseillaise, the French national anthem. Tongue in cheek and in many other places, “Gainsbourg”, like his infamous large French banknote aflame, constitutes the alert and manifesto that TOO MUCH MAY BE JUST RIGHT.
An interview with Joann Sfar, the director in Indie Wire.

About his taxes in France and that banknote.

News & Olds

BREAK THE SURFACE
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To ride the unbalance* between:
1. excellence and a kind, singular and porous identity that contains some of the scruples, humor, humility, musicality & the beauty of a harsh and confusing, yet benign and rich reality – away from distractions.
2. the stupidity and blindness of complacency, violence, injustice, pretense, egos, short-term… wishful… and group “thinking,” and empty talk – in all of their surprising embodiments. And the false sense of fullness all of this provides.
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An appeal for a world NOT so caught up in anthropo/ego/euro/ethno/oculo/esthetico -CENTRISM.
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1. Beware of those who claim to be strong – they are often dangerous.
2. Unmask the hoax of “centrality” – ask an “EX-centric” for assistance?
3. Perceive the arrogance of normalcy: everybody, in one way or another, is handicapped… which brings us back to 1.
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*Not unrelated to “There is beauty and there are the humiliated. Whatever difficulties the enterprise may present, I should like never to be unfaithful either to the second or the first.” — Albert Camus