News - A movie on Serge Gainsbourg | Eurovision Song Contest News - Azerbaijan 2012 

Serge Gainsbourg (vie héroïque) is the title of a long-awaited movie in France, which is to be seen since January 20. It is more a tale than a movie on Gainsbourg's life, French director Joann Sfar declares. Women who have had an important part in the musician's life feature in the film (played by actresses, of course).

This is the case of Juliette Gréco, for whom Gainsbourg wrote some of his early works, Brigitte Bardot – played by former top-model Laetitia Casta, with whom the man falls in love, then Jane Birkin (the longest love affair) and Bambou, his last lover. The film also includes France Gall, who is played by 23-year-old actress Sara Forestier, during a scene which lasts not more than 2 minutes.

Gall herself was not one of the man’s many lovers but their collaboration means something very special in Gainsbourg’s career. Before Gall, the man hadn’t reach any big hit. He was convinced that he should work for young and trendy artists to – at last – be famous and earn money. That’s how he accepted to meet France Gall’s father, who cared for his daughter’s affairs at the time (she was only 17). Still, Gainsbourg didn’t want to sell his soul to the devil, so he kept his own style of writing and put naughty lyrics on lovely melodies, a method he would use until the end of his life, in 1991.

The Eurovision collaboration is not shown in the film, the only connection is his producer shouting  “Now, we have more than 35 millions francs with Poupée de cire only!”. There’s no real hidden meaning in France Gall’s winning song, but Gall’s 1966 hit Les sucettes (lollipops) led to controversy, due to Gainsbourg’s obvious intention to have a young girl singing rude lyrics. The song deals with Annie who loves anise lollipops: “When barley sugar comes into Annie’s throat, she’s on 7th heaven [...] for a few pennies, Annie – (an English word with close similarity to a word meaning a male “thing”... – Annie gets her anise lollipops...”

TV show featuring Gainsbourg and France Gall singing Les Sucettes together in 1967:

 

The story behind Les sucettes (with English subtitles) about France Gall telling she was not aware of what she was singing at the time! – France Gall explains, in 2001:

 

France Gall won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg in 1965 with Poupée de cire, poupée de son. Serge Gainsbourg wrote music and lyrics for the song and of Boum badaboum (1967 Monaco’s entry by Minouche Barelli, who placed 5th). The man penned the lyrics for the 1990 French entry, White and black blues, performed by Joëlle Ursull, who placed equal 2nd.  Gainsbourg is also famous for a big number of songs written for other performers. Here’s a list of those who have a connection with Eurovision : Michèle Arnaud (Luxembourg 1956), Isabelle Aubret (France 1962 & 1968), Dominique Walter (France 1966), Françoise Hardy (Monaco 1963), Nana Mouskouri (Luxembourg 1963) and Viktor Lazlo (1987 host).

Visit the official webiste of the movie here .