Set from 1918 to 1926, the film revolves around an officer who returns to Berlin three years after World War I with nothing that suits his skills other than menial jobs where he eventually becomes a gigolo amidst a growing conflict between Nazis and Communists. It is a film that explores a man just trying to find his role after the events of the world but it’s a film that wants to be a comedy but also a drama as well as a period piece but writers Ennio De Concini and Joshua Sinclair create a story that is just a fucking mess. Notably as the protagonist of Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski (David Bowie) is always in some situation where he is often lost and is often made to look like a buffoon. Notably as he would take jobs that are humiliating while is pining for a longtime childhood friend in the revolutionary prostitute in Cilly (Sydne Rome). Paul would often find himself in situations such as being an unwilling participant in a resistance group led by his former superior in Captain Herrmann Kraft (David Hemmings) that would eventually become the Nazis and eventually become a gigolo for the Baroness von Semering (Marlene Dietrich) where he woos older women including an officer’s widow in Helga von Kaiserling (Kim Novak).
David Hemmings’ direction is all over the place where it begins in the battlefield where Paul is at the front line of a battlefield where he meets Captain Kraft only to be hit with a shell that lead him to a French hospital where he’s mistaken for a French officer. There are some unique shots that Hemmings creates but the film has a lot of tonal issues in whether he wants to create something serious that is meant to be played for laughs or the other way around and it never works. There are also these moments on whenever a new year in the story begins, there is this recurring gag of two old ladies talking as it never establishes their purpose in the film while Hemmings’ direction with the actors has them in some situations that is humiliating with the exception of the two scenes with the Baroness. Even as it wants to be some political film or a character study yet there is never sense of cohesion throughout the film where Hemmings wants to make this some kind of political-comedy or a character-drama about a man who is lost after World War I. Overall, Hemmings crafts a messy and meandering film about a World War I Prussian officer who later becomes a gigolo.
Cinematographer Charly Steinberger does nice work with the film’s cinematography as it has some stylish lighting for some of the scenes at the Hotel Eden where the Baroness lives as well a few exterior scenes at night. Editors Siegrun Jager and Alfred Srp do fine work with the editing though given that the international version was cut down from the 147-minute premiere version to 105 minutes though there are moments in the film where it does meander. Production designer Peter Rothe does excellent work with the look of the home where Paul and his family live in as well as the ballroom of the Hotel Eden and the home of the Prince whom Cilly is sleeping with. Costume designers Mago and Ingrid Zore do amazing work with the stylish dresses that the women at the time with the former creating some designer clothing for the Baroness, Cilly, and the clothes that Paul wears.
Hair/makeup artist Antony Clave do terrific work with the look of the characters as it is stylized for the times. The sound work of Gunther Kortwich is good as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations though there’s moments that it does too much to play into the humor. The film’s music by John Altman and Gunther Fischer is wonderful as its mixture of jazz and folk to play into the music of the times do play into the humor while music supervisor Jack Fishman provide a soundtrack including some standards as well as an original song written by Bowie that a group of rebels sing early in the film as well as the titular song that is sung by the Baroness.
The film’s ensemble cast do have their moments though a lot of them were hampered by the film’s nonsensical script and messy direction as it include some notable small roles from Hilde Weissner as Paul’s aunt Hilda, Evelyn Kunneke as an old woman that is one of Paul’s conquests late in the film, Erika Pulhar as a prostitute who lives at the apartment where Paul’s family live in, Werner Pochath as Captain Kraft’s brutish yet idiotic henchman Otto, Rudolph Schundler as Paul’s catatonic father who spends much of the film not moving in a stupid way, and Curd Jurgens in a wasted two-scene appearance as a Prince whom Cilly is having an affair with as he barely does anything in the film. Maria Schell is fantastic as Paul’s mother who is amazed that he is alive while worries about the thing he is doing as a gigolo but also in his time with Captain Kraft. Marlene Dietrich is incredible in her brief two-scene appearance as Baroness von Semering as she just maintains this presence in her role as this woman who runs a brothel of gigolos as she is just a joy to watch.
David Hemmings’ performance as Captain Herrmann Kraft is just terrible in the fact that he is this former military officer who is trying to be part of the Nazi movement is often played for laughs though there is nothing funny in what he’s doing while he takes it way too seriously to be engaging. Kim Novak’s performance as an officer’s widow in Helga von Kaiserling is an odd performance that really doesn’t do much for Novak to be engaging but rather be this seductress who tries too hard at times while her attempts to be funny are forced. Sydne Rome’s performance as Paul’s childhood sweetheart Cilly as this revolutionary prostitute who later becomes a Hollywood film star is badly written as someone who wants Paul but then wants to be with the Prince and follow her dreams where Rome does have her moments as a cabaret performer but never finds her balance as someone who really is Paul’s love interest. Finally, there’s David Bowie as Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski as a Prussian World War I officer who is lost in trying to find work only to become a gigolo where Bowie never really gets to find his footing in the role where his attempts to be funny is forced while the dramatic moments barely has him doing anything as it is definitely one of his worst performances in his acting career.
Just a Gigolo is a horrible film from David Hemmings. Despite the two-scene performance from the late Marlene Dietrich in her final film performance, the film is a meandering mess that never finds its footing while giving its ensemble cast nothing to do. Even fans of David Bowie will find the film to be a chore as the man himself also made his dislike about the film after its release as he is given nothing to do other than look ridiculous. In the end, Just a Gigolo is just a bad movie by David Hemmings.
© thevoid99 2022
Based on the novel D’entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejec, Vertigo is the story of a retired yet acrophobic police detective who is asked by a man to tail his wife who is dealing with mood swings. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor, the film is an exploration into a man dealing with his fear of heights as well as the case that he’s investigating where he falls for the woman he’s tailing. Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. Vertigo is a magnificent film from Alfred Hitchcock.
The film is a simple story about a retired police detective who is asked by an old friend to tail his troubled wife. Yet, John Ferguson (James Stewart) is still dealing with the guilt over losing his partner during a chase as he also suffers from acrophobia and gets dizzy due to that fear. By taking this assignment for an old friend, he hopes to get some form of redemption yet he would end up falling for this woman in Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) while trying to deal with her fascination towards this woman who had died nearly a century ago. Even as he helps her try to deal with the nightmares she has where things get more stranger as it goes on. It’s a film that is largely about fear where one man has a fear of heights while this woman is someone who fears that she might be the reincarnation of someone else as she is becoming suicidal.
The film’s screenplay by Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor does take its time to explore the aspects of fear where Ferguson is a man just wracked with guilt over the loss of his partner during a roof chase. Though he finds comfort in his former fiancée Midge Wood (Barbara Bel Geddes), he reluctantly takes the assignment for Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) as a favor to an old friend as the first act is about Ferguson coping with his fear and seeing Madeleine for the very first time where he would follow her around San Francisco. The second act is about Ferguson trying to figure out Madeleine’s fear and her mental state while he also deals with some jealousy from Midge who managed to see Madeleine walk out of his apartment one night after she had jumped on the San Francisco Bay. The film’s third act is definitely the most intriguing where it just doesn’t explore the idea of guilt and fear but also identity and obsession where Ferguson delves into the latter towards another woman where a lot of the mystery gets unveiled.
The direction of Alfred Hitchcock is truly mesmerizing in the way he creates these gorgeous images while making San Francisco and places nearby the city as characters in the film. Hitchcock makes great use in his framing devices in not just the way he presents the film with these lovely compositions but also create something that has this air of mystery and melancholia that is prevalent throughout the film. Notably as Hitchcock would take a simple shot and do something with it to add to the sense of drama and suspense in the film. The way he uses a two-shot on characters as well as close-ups are very entrancing with some soft lenses and the use of locations just adds to this romance that builds between John and Madeleine.
Hitchcock also creates some very dazzling sequences that plays into John’s fear such as the shots of him looking down from above where the zoom lenses play a key part into his fear along with some special photographic effects. There’s also this very strange yet surreal sequence that also plays into John’s fear as well as the ideas of what Madeleine was so afraid of. Most notably as it would play into this very strange third act that explores John’s obsession as he tries to deal with his fear of heights as well as see if he can find some redemption. Overall, Hitchcock creates a very spectacular and intoxicating film about fear, obsession, and identity.
Cinematographer Robert Burks does exquisite work with the film‘s very colorful and lush photography to play into the beauty of the locations in San Francisco as well as using the lights to play into that element of suspense and intrigue as it is definitely a major highlight of the film. Editor George Tomasini does brilliant work with the editing to play into the suspense with some rhythmic cuts and other stylish cuts to help maintain that air of intrigue as well as some slow yet methodical cuts in the film‘s drama. Art directors Henry Bumstead and Hal Pereira, along with set decorators Sam Comer and Frank R. McKelvy, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of John‘s apartment as well as some of the places he goes to like the museum and the other places Madeleine goes to.
Costume designer Edith Head does amazing work with the costumes from the suits that John wears to the dresses that Madeleine and Midge wears as it has that great sense of style. Hairstyle supervisor Nellie Manley and makeup artist Benny Lane do excellent work with the look of Madeleine in her blond hair to display this unique look that John would be obsessed about later in the film. Sound recorders Winston H. Leverett, Harold Lewis, and Jim Miller do superb work with the sound to create an atmosphere in some of the locations as well as play into the film‘s suspense and drama. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is truly phenomenal with its orchestral-based score that features heavy and broad themes to more somber, lush pieces driven by the strings to play into the romance and drama.
The casting by Bert McKay is incredible as the ensemble that includes some noteworthy small roles like Fred Graham as John’s partner in the film’s opening sequence, Konstantin Shayne as a historian John and Midge meet, and Ellen Corby as a hotel owner John asks about. Tom Helmore is excellent as John’s old friend Gavin Elster who asks John to follow his wife to see what she’s up to. Barbara Bel Geddes is wonderful as John’s former fiancée Midge who helps John with his case while dealing with her jealousy towards Madeleine. Kim Novak is radiant as Madeleine as this mysterious yet troubled woman who has a strange connection to a woman from the past as Novak also has this beauty that is just entrancing making her performance iconic. Finally, there’s James Stewart in a marvelous performance as John “Scottie” Ferguson as a man wracked with guilt and fear as he takes an assignment that would prove to be troubling. Stewart and Novak have amazing chemistry together in the way they play into each other’s fears as well as the romance they have for each other.
Vertigo is an outstanding film from Alfred Hitchcock that features remarkable performances from James Stewart and Kim Novak. Not only is the film one of Hitchcock’s most quintessential works but also a stylish yet engaging thriller that explores the world of fear, obsession, and identity. Particularly as it’s told with great style through its colorful cinematography and the enchanting score of Bernard Herrmann. In the end, Vertigo is a triumphant film from Alfred Hitchcock.
Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) - The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) - The Lady Vanishes - (Jamaica Inn) - Rebecca - (Foreign Correspondent) - (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) - Suspicion - (Saboteur) - (Shadow of a Doubt) - Bon Voyage - Lifeboat - (Spellbound) - (Notorious) - (The Paradine Cage) - Rope - (Under Capricorn) - (Stage Fright) - Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) - (Topaz) - (Frenzy) - (Family Plot)
© thevoid99 2013
