Melody (1971)
Overview
Although Gainsbourg and Birkin had appeared in a string of films since their magnetic collision in Pierre Grimblat’s Slogan, Melody was a bit of diversion from their collaborations since it’s a series of interwoven videos inspired by the Gainsbourgalbum. For '71 it’s a novel concept to bring visual life to an LP, but even more surprising are the short film’s amazing visuals that director Averty crafted using a wealth of video filters, overlays, camera movements and chroma key effects. Averty applies these in tandem with the increasing tone of Gainsbourg’s songs, which more or less chronicle an older man's affair with a young girl. Each song is comprised of steady, sometimes brooding poetic delivery, with refrains timed to the phrase repeats of each song, while Alan Parker’s buzzing guitar accompanies and wiggles around Gainsbourg’s resonant voice. The bass is fat and groovy, the drums easy but steady, and the periodic use of strings or rich vibrato makes this short a sultry little gem.
Where to watch Melody
| Country | Stream | Rent | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | INA madelen | — | — |
Streaming availability from JustWatch via TMDB. Catalogues change often, so check the provider before subscribing.
What is Melody about?
Although Gainsbourg and Birkin had appeared in a string of films since their magnetic collision in Pierre Grimblat’s Slogan, Melody was a bit of diversion from their collaborations since it’s a series of interwoven videos inspired by the Gainsbourgalbum. For '71 it’s a novel concept to bring visual life to an LP, but even more surprising are the short film’s amazing visuals that director Averty crafted using a wealth of video filters, overlays, camera movements and chroma key effects. Averty applies these in tandem with the increasing tone of Gainsbourg’s songs, which more or less chronicle an older man's affair with a young girl. Each song is comprised of steady, sometimes brooding poetic delivery, with refrains timed to the phrase repeats of each song, while Alan Parker’s buzzing guitar accompanies and wiggles around Gainsbourg’s resonant voice. The bass is fat and groovy, the drums easy but steady, and the periodic use of strings or rich vibrato makes this short a sultry little gem. Melody is a Music, Romance, TV Movie movie, released on 1971-12-22, runtime 28 minutes.
Is Melody worth watching?
There are not enough ratings yet to summarize how viewers feel about Melody.
Where can I watch Melody?
In France, Melody streams on INA madelen. Movie World also lists online streaming sources and links to external sources on this page.
Directed by
Jean-Christophe Averty
Cast
- Jane Birkin as Melody Nelson
- Serge Gainsbourg as L'homme
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Sources
Details and the 7.0/10 rating from Melody on TMDB, also on IMDb. Back to Movie World.