Zou Zou

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.

Zouzou is a very much substandard French film from the thirties, with a flimsy and unengaging story, a completely unnecessary murder subplot that is introduced (presumably for suspense) and then dealt with offscreen in about 60 seconds, and ends weakly and unconvincingly, with a whimper not a bang.

But it is a landmark movie in other ways, most obviously in the treatment of race, here being depicted by black American ex-pat Josephine Baker. It's amazing to reflect that back at home she would have had to drink from a separate water fountain and sit at the back of the bus for another thirty years after this was made, whereas here in Paris she is loved and applauded and treated like an equal by every single person she meets, everywhere she goes. It's almost like an alternate celluloid history of the 1930s, and a very refreshing one at that.

Another way it differs is in the frank depictions of nudity, which go further than even the pre-code films of Hollywood at the time would have done. Both these factors ensured it never got an approved release back in the States.

Baker is entertaining throughout, if unconvincing in the emotional scenes, and the young Jean Gabin, who is always good, adds weight and character to his too-undernourished role. It culminates in a couple of big Busby Berkeley-like musical numbers with some enormously oversized sets (a bed, a birdcage, etc). The songs aren't particularly memorable, but then watching a musical with subtitles is never going to be the best way to experience it.

It's not a very good film, but it is a likeable one, and a deeper, more positive cut of history than we are used to seeing today.

This is a simple story that really has no surprises but how can you resist a film that stars the legendary Josephine Baker? The worst part is that you don't hear her sing until the last 20 minutes and then you hear this tremendous voice that would put Mariah Carey to shame. It's also astonishing to see how different standards in film were in France. There is nudity here and it's kind of weird to see a film from 1934 that has nudity. Actress Illa Meery seems to have no problem with it. Also, their is a scene where Meery is in the same bed with her fiancé and while there's no nudity it's the suggestion of their relationship that's evident. In another scene Jean Gabin is walking down the street with a girl and his hand moves down to her rear. You can see that while Baker was not a trained actress she was a natural performer even when not singing. Her energy and personality more than carry the film and she easily steals scenes from her trained counterparts such as Gabin. That makes this film worthy of the archives. Not a great film but you can't resist watching a legendary performer that only made less than two dozen films.

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.