During the late ’70s, David Bowie became synonymous with Berlin after recording Low and Heroes in the walled city. But he didn’t merely stay in the recording studio with Brian Eno and Robert Fripp during his time in the past and future capital of Germany. David Bowie got back to acting when he agreed to make a film with David Hemmings. People probably had serious high hopes when the singer and star of The Man Who Fell To Earth would team up with the star of Blowup and Deep Red. There was also the teasing of how the movie marked the return of Marlene Dietrich to the screen after 15 years. All the anticipation led to critics not being seduced by Just A Gigolo. But removing it from the anticipation of when it arrived, has the magic finally struck.
Lieutenant Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski (Bowie) reports for duty at the trench line and talks with Captain Hermann Kraft (Hemmings) when the German troops get news that World War I has ended. The officers sense it is a trap and before the true celebration, Paul gets nailed with a mortar burst. He spend the early time of the peacetime settlement wrapped up like a mummy in the hospital. When he finally gets discharged, he finds a Berlin that’s a bit disoriented. He can’t quite find a steady job. He takes odd tasks. He finds himself bring tugged by Nazis, communists and showbiz folks. He meets Baroness von Semering (Dietrich) and she gets him to become an escort for the older women of the city. But even with this new life, he finds himself worried about the violence lurking around every street corner.
The film isn’t a straight drama about post-World War I Berlin. Comedy pops up as Paul struggles to find a purpose to his life after the military. There’s great visual gags when Paul gets a day gig roaming the streets of Berlin inside a giant beer bottle to advertise the brand. Things don’t go quite right when he needs to use the bathroom while under glass. Another fun gag has two women trying to kill a goose in the kitchen for their Christmas dinner. The funeral that gets interrupted at the cemetery with gunshots gets kind of slapsticky as Paul gets really close with Helga von Kaiserling (Vertigo‘s Kim Novak).
The film sets up plenty of expectations without intending to deliver them. You’d expect it to become a bit of a musical since it takes place around the same time as Cabaret and features Bowie. But he’s not busting out any music moments. Dietrich does since the title song with a piano accompaniment as Bowie listens to her performance. You’d figure with the subject matter and the R Rating, you’d be getting plenty of bedroom escapades. But Hemming keeps the stripped down action very discrete. This was not meant for Cinemax After Dark. If you don’t come with any expectations, Just A Gigolo pays off on its own terms.
The original cut of Just A Gigolo ran 147 minutes. The version released in the US and featured on this Blu-ray is 106 minutes. Judging from the original reviews, this tighter cut does improve the experience. David Bowie joked this was “my 32 Elvis Presley movies rolled into one” But this is not Girl Happy or Clambake. The ending is darker than anything in Paradise Hawaiian Style. This is such a better film than you’ve been led to believe with Bowie tying it all together as ex-soldier that’s falling apart.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The resolution looks fine and you get the sepia tone vision of the times. The audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0. You’ll hear the bullets and Marlene singing her solo clearly. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary has Rory MacLean discuss the film from his perspective as David Hemming’s assistant. He originally wasn’t in favor of the film.
Making of Gigolo (28:41) has screenwriter/producer Joshua Sinclair and Rory MacLean, the assistant to David Hemmings breakdown how the production came together. Hemmings is described as the guy who can just charm an entire room. They have lots of behind the scenes photos to illustrate their tales.
Trailer (4:29) wants you to stop and see the most dazzling movie made in Berlin since World War II.
Shout! Factory presents Just A Gigolo. Directed by: David Hemmings. Screenplay by Ennio De Concini & Joshua Sinclair. Starring David Bowie, Sydne Rome, Kim Novak, Maria Schell, Curd Jürgens, David Hemmings and Marlene Dietrich. Rated R. Running Time: 106 minutes. Release Date: June 29, 2021.
