Jacques Brel is alive and well and Living in Paris--film version

I didn't realize there had been a film version of JBIAAWALIP until this popped up on my Netflix suggestion list. Having been involved as a crew member in a stage production was I was 16, I have an affinity for this music. I'm certain I didn't understand it 30 years ago, and I'm not certain I understand it now, but despite that I like this music.

Well, the film version of this cabaret show sometimes helps and sometimes hinders getting a hold on the meaning behind the songs. At the risk of proving my ignorance and lack of understanding, I'll attempt to say what meaning I get out of this music:

Mr. Brel seems to be an nihilist, seeing and having experienced some of the worst of human behavior before, during and after the second World War. He also seems to be the antithesis of Edith Piaf's Je ne regret rien. M. Brel regret tout. Every song is tinged with sadness, regret and loss. His signature song, which I don't recall in the stage version of this show but is sung by Mr. Brel in the film, is titled Ne me quitte pas--Don't Leave Me. Well everybody leaves everything in Brel's songs. Lovers, parents, children, old folks, war, peace, security, homelands, even virginity gets left behind.

The cast for the film is three singers, Mort Shuman and Elly Stone from the original stage version, along with Joe Masiell. All three are well fitted to the music they perform. Mr. Masiell is a particularly good singer, and doesn't look bad in bullfighter silks, either. I thought of Mr. Shuman primarily as a character singer, but he does some nice legato singing here, too, when asked.

Elly Stone, along with her husband Eric Blau, is the primary reason American audiences know anything about Jacques Brel (if they do). Her inclusion of Brel's songs in her cabaret act lead to the creation of the show that is the basis of this film. While I like Ms. Stone's singing for the most part, I would have liked another female voice to form a little contrast.

Unlike the stage show, the film includes an ensemble behind the primary singers. The ensemble is mostly there for atmosphere, but also interact with the leads, although they don't sing. It's a bit like the clowning techniques used in other shows of the 60s and 70s--like Godspell. I'm not certain how much it added to my understanding or appreciation of the material, but at least it was some different faces to look at.

There are a lot of shots of eyes, particularly Mr. Brel's and Ms. Stone's. I'm not certain what the intent was, but I wanted a stronger sense of this being the way Mr. Brel saw the world.

Jacques Brel is alive and well and Living in Paris
Music by Brel and others
Lyrics by Brel, English versions by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau
Stage revue created in 1968, film released in 1975

Cast: Elly Stone, Mort Shuman, Joe Masiell