Zou-zou

Josephine Baker's charismatic performance as "Zouzou", along with Jean Gabin's good supporting performance as Jean, make this an entertaining film. The story and the rest of the movie are not bad either, but probably would not have worked nearly so well without the two leads. Baker is more known for her stage shows, but she does a pretty good job here, full of charm and buoyant energy that give you every reason to care about her character. She grabs your attention whenever she is in a scene, but also gives her character a more thoughtful turn when it is called for. Gabin's talented, understated performance is a nice complement to her lead, and you can see why he would soon become a star in his own right.

The story is a fairly familiar 'backstage' drama, with some romance and other complications thrown in. It's implausible at times, as such stories tend to be, but it moves at a good pace and it also provides the opportunity for some occasional lavish musical numbers. Most of the rest of the cast is just along for the ride, but they do their jobs well enough, and some of them have good moments of their own, too.

Overall, it's a pretty good film, and one that does not show too many signs of age (except for some defects in the print itself). It should be worth a look whether you like classics, musicals, or stories about life back stage.

Zouzou feels like a French version of a pre-code Hollywood film, though I don't believe French filmmakers ever had the equivalent of the Hays Code inflicted upon them. It has bawdy dialogue, scantily clad women, a silly plot, and an alluring star in Josephine Baker. Of course, the fact that Baker was an African-American and simply allowed to be a leading lady, without a lot made over her skin color, is something that was unthinkable in America at the time. There are a couple of other things you wouldn't see in an American film; the F bomb is dropped in one scene, and there are a couple of instances of near toplessness. The film is light in tone and rather playful, and what it also stars Jean Gabin, Baker is the reason to watch it. While she's a little overly emotive in her acting, her joy is infectious. In one scene, director Marc Allegret emphasizes her elongated form and curves with her giant shadow moving along with her as she dances. In another, she sings as if she were a canary in a giant birdcage, swinging back and forth in the smallest of feathery outfits. "He runs after all the girls, they are all at his mercy...his eyes undress me, his hands sometimes too," she trills. Unfortunately, the film as a whole is rather uneven. The musical numbers look amateurish, and the editing is consistently odd. Worth seeing for Baker and this little window in 1934 France though.

I agree the movie is no "Gone with the Wind" but for 1934 and for a black woman it is quite an achievement indeed. The only thing comparable at the time was Halleluja! in the States starring Nina Mae McKinney -- and a stereotypical one at that. La Baker is stunning in the C'est Lui number - for which there still has been no comparison for a black American Actress - Lena Horne never got a white chorus of handsome men. Yes, the quality is poor by today's standards but look at Bette Davis's 1934 turn in Of Human Bondage or even It Happened One Night from the same year. None of them has really great film quality. It was, after all, 1934. So enjoy. If you like Josephine, you won't be disappointed.

I enjoyed everything about this movie: camera, pacing, acting, dancing, plot, characters, French language, and historic value. Above all I enjoyed Josephine Baker's incredibly subtle singing, and the beautifully written and orchestrated songs. And the background music is also superb. The whole movie has an atmosphere of generosity and good cheer, and a pleasant absence of Hollywood glitter. They really don't make them like this anymore. Not for those who want blockbusting glamor. This is a modest film, but there is charm in modesty. Less is more.

This isn't a very good movie, even by the standards of its time. And Josephine Baker only hints at what made her a legend. But it's worth seeing just to get a glimpse of this great performer who, against overwhelming odds, prevailed against the endemic racism of her time by leaving the US and going to Paris, where she became a star. It's too bad more of her performances aren't preserved on film.