High & Low - John Galliano

I've given this documentary 10/10 because, how lucky are we to see Galliano's genius designs while sitting in our lounge rooms (or the cinema)? His and his team's hard work, the unrealistic expectations of the bosses, the addictions it takes to meet those expectations, including Galliano's own self-expectations. And his Catholic background - is his fall from grace similar to that of Mel Gibson's? Hence Galliano's confusion over his antisemitic words - a child can absorb hateful words and hold them unconsciously... What an expose of alcohol addiction! I believe Galliano does feel shame over that part of his life, I found him sincere ns his apologies but, yes, he needs to make direct apologies to those he has directly affected - I hope he does that, if he hasn't already. We ask a lot of our geniuses, I think we ask them to be more than human, all the time - there is a cost, to them. Having said that, I can completely understand if some Jewish people cannot forgive his antisemitic words - the pain is too great and the words were said. Congratulations to Kevin Macdonald - a balanced, stylish and well-edited piece - thank you.

The cynic in me viewed this film as a bad guys way to get his job back. But my open minded view sees this more sympathetically as someone incredibly gifted, used by a greedy corporation, who 'acted' like they cared but could care only for the copious sums of money Galliano brought to Dior. Clearly Galliano spewed some vile and repugnant things, but in the context that he was working under, his extreme and his full-blown alcohol and drug driven lifestyle, it makes sense admitting he can't remember saying those things. Ironically had he not been arrested, LVMH would have literally killed him. Literally! So in a very strange twist, it more than likely saved his life. Ironic. Galliano clearly played by his own rules. If one is ever in Paris, the Dior museum is really a must see.

I think Kevin Macdonald has tread a fine line quite carefully here as he uses a candid interview with John Galliano as the bedrock for a retrospective on the career of this enigmatic and undoubtedly flawed individual. From his graduation from St. Martin's College in London through to his ill-fated custodianship of Haute Couture at Dior, we follow this man on a warts and all documentary that is substantially supported by some seriously good archive research and some equally frank contributions from friends and foes alike. As someone put it in the narrative, some of his fashions did beg the questions "who for?" and "where?" and that is part of what makes this interesting. The association behind the more obscure of his high end fashion (especially his Egyptian-inspired designs that even Elizabeth Taylor might struggle with) through to the more scantily clad and ambiguous creations with that worn by the ordinary person shopping on the high street is always a curiously, obliquely, tangential one! The film tells us about the man, certainly, but also about the vagaries of an industry that pushes, drives, rewards and punishes in equal measure. What is clear from early on here is that Galliano became addicted to almost everything - from the varied contents of a bottle, or to a pencil and a pair of scissors, or just to the lucrative adulation that created a "Hyde" at times from his original "Jekyll". The fact that he clearly has little actual memory of the incident in the Café de la Perle that brought about his downfall is testament to his complete lack of self awareness and control by this point in his career. Burning the candle at both ends and in the middle would, I suspect, turn most of us into mush. Macdonald doesn't attempt to coax us in any given direction regarding our reaction to this incident, and to the fall out. Galliano has his opponents and his proponents. We are presented with as much fact as there is, plenty of prognostication - and left to conclude just how evil (or not) he is/was/may still be. It also gives us a chance to look in the mirror and ask ourselves where forgiveness may lie... It's entertaining at times, and the pictorial documentation of his career and that of many of his contemporaries is a must watch for anyone interested in the development of, and fascination in, this industry.

...which does the necessary to depict the complexity of theme and character, although it does a little too much about extolling talent. Without being even slightly knowledgeable or concerned with fashion, Galliano's seemed farcical to me, as did his character. We also learn he still has the support of the heavyweights in the fashion world such as Anna Wintour. "He was just ill", fair enough, but there are many people with childhood as horrible as his and even worse, who do however take accountability. Galliano is still in denial, perpetrating his narcissistic persona/mask, and hasn't apologised to the "small" people he insulted, although he claims he "thinks" he did, because there was "eye contact in the court". He apologised to those who meant something in the fashion business.

His final (2022) show depicted is still escapist, sad testimony of his grandiose delusion.

Sadly, Galliano's behaviour is symptomatic and couldn't be more relevant today. Not knowing the first thing about jews, and without any relationship to them whatsoever, the first thing arising in his drunken, self-loathing mind, is antisemitism.

Fantastic job in deeply exploring the issues of trauma, its impact on one's life, the ability or inability to cope, and the importance of accountability. There are no easy answers; instead, we have here laid bare the complexity of trauma and the enduring pain. Is it possible to overcome? Only through understanding and through introspection, which Galliano may be lacking. We witness instead his enduring escapism. Although he has ostensibly made steps to reform, there's the child within urging to run away. A puer aeternus, a classic narcissist.

What strikes is that some Jews were willing to understand and even forgive, had Galiano sincerely shown remorse and begged forgiveness. Then there's another person who regrets having felt sorry for him; there are those who wouldn't give him the time of day, and there are his friends who won't question him. Is the truth in the middle? Certainly in hearing all the voices and getting the big picture this remarkable film succeeds to convey.

One ought to wonder whether Galliano agreed on the film in order to be understood or for promotion. Maybe both.