Pigalle

"Pigalle" is an ultra-stylish character study, dealing with the criminal element who inhabit the infamous Parisian sex and drug district. Filmed in appropriate garish neon colors, the film follows the lives of four young people, struggling to survive in their drug infested, violent world. The sexy Vera, dances nude in a peep show, while her handsome but unstable boyfriend Fifi, struggles with his ambiguous sexuality, and a fascination with transsexual heroin dealer, 'Divine.' Fifi is looked up to by an Arab boy named Mustaf, and the two spend much time hanging out in the crime ridden streets, scamming and ripping off tourists and 'johns.' The four make up a sort of family, and look out for each other as best they can, as the older, corrupt pimps and drug dealers try to use and exploit them in every way possible. "Pigalle" is a dazzling film experience, filled with life, color, eye popping costumes, pulsating music, crazy and fascinating characters, as well as a surprising amount of nudity, drug use, graphic violence, and all around sleaze. And the four leads are physically beautiful as well, in their own unique way, and somehow likable, despite the poor moral choices they sometimes make. "Pigalle" is a film in the tradition of "Pixote," "Christiane F." and "Mandragora," in it's study of young innocents trapped in an urban hell of drugs and prostitution. I was surprised by the low rating at IMDb, but with only 2 reviews, it is obvious that more people need to see this astonishing film.

Edit: It should be known that the dvd available to English speaking countries is HEAVILY CENSORED, deleting an astonishing 15 minutes from the movie. So many scenes are removed that the story becomes incomprehensible. This might explain the low rating here; if you have only seen this disgraceful 78 minute version then you have NOT seen this film.

PIGALLE disappoints as potentially fascinating subject matter is explored in traditional, and overdone plot lines. The Parisian entertainment area of Pigalle has a long, unique history. A contemporary film bearing its name could have served the double purpose of exposing the area's unique character, and delighting us with a good film. Instead, we get a cliche'-ridden film with the ubiquitous lowlives that inhabit all other seedy urban areas. If the film weren't in French, the viewer may not even know it was about PIGALLE. Entertaining, but not worthy of its name.

PIGALLE has all the ingredients of a splendid little exposé of the infamous sector of crime in the City of Light. The problem is there is so little actual 'light' in the camera work that much of what happens in this film cannot be seen! Pigalle is an area in Paris infamous for being an historic and a current zone of drug conclaves, prostitution (both male and female and every cross in between), peep show and strip clubs, junkies, thieves and murderers. In this mire swell all of the characters of this story. Divine (Blanca Li) is a transvestite performer in a club run by fellow transvestite Fernande (Raymond Gil) and Divine is in love with Fifi (Francis Renaud), a male street hustler and thief who in addition to his affair with Divine has an ongoing flirtation with Véra (Véra Briole), a woman who works as a stripper and peep show dancer but refuses to be a prostitute. Véra lives with her pimp Jésus le Gitan (Patrick Chauvel) whose primary occupation is drug dealing. Add to this smarmy group a large cast of deviates and druggies and hardcore criminals and you have the populace of Pigalle.

The story involves the murders of both Divine and Jésus: the drug lords 'convince' Véra to talk Fifi into being the hit man to revenge the killings. How all of this fits together - the consequences of betrayal and the desperate need for love that consumes each of the main characters - brings the tale to a grisly close.

This is a tale of survival in the amoral streets of Pigalle and writer/director Karim Dridi certainly knows how to create atmosphere commensurate with his story. There is excessive drug use, violence, and loathing that at times threaten to drown the little story, but were it filmed in any other way it would not have the impact that permeates this 1994 French film. In French with English subtitles, Not recommended for the squeamish, but recommended for those who enjoy film noir! Grady Harp