For her feature directorial debut, Jane By Charlotte, multi-talented actress/singer/photographer Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist, Lux Aeterna) indulges in a very personal exploration of her mother, Jane Birkin, in a quest to see her as she never has before. Birkin is no stranger to the spotlight, as, in addition to the thorough excavation of her personal life by tabloids over the decades, the equally multi-talented icon has already been the subject of a documentary by the legendary Agnes Varda some 30-plus years ago in Jane B. par Agnès V. Yet, there is something thrilling about the possibility of getting to a greater level of intimacy simply due to the fact that her own daughter would be the one getting her to open up. While there are magical moments where such insights are gleaned, the respect that Gainsbourg has for her mother often leaves the most captivating bits under-explored.
Gainsbourg’s approach to this film is as much about what is not featured as what is projected on screen. Some of these choices are very rewarding, such as the decision to not put a major focus on Jane’s late husband and Charlotte’s father, Serge Gainsbourg. Jane and Serge were a powerhouse couple in the 1970s who knew international renown which led to the aforementioned media frenzy in countries around the globe. So much of Jane’s life has been tied to Serge that the former has often been devalued as an individual. It is not as if the mother-daughter pair ignore the French legend; on the contrary, they spend quite a bit of time in one sequence returning to his pristinely preserved apartment (recently turned into a museum) that Jane had not set foot in for decades. Serge is a looming presence in the film, but Charlotte allows for the spotlight to stay firmly on Jane.
Charlotte eschews any traditional biographical trappings you might otherwise expect from a film such as this – sometimes to its detriment. The verite style allows for a more slice-of-life approach that makes the smaller moments representational of larger themes. Where the film perhaps misses the mark is assuming that the only people who might watch this documentary are those already firmly invested in the life and legacy of Jane Birkin. All of the background details sprinkled throughout this review are not a good judge of what you will find in the film. Charlotte stays firmly “in the moment” with her mother, leaving newcomers to wonder exactly who Jane Birkin is and why she is worthy of your attention. Outside of a few sequences of Birkin performing on stage in cities around the world, you might not truly understand the cultural impact she had in her prime or her career as an actress. There must be a happy medium between full biography and complete blank slate for novices.
Even without greater context for Birkin, there are some really rewarding moments between mother and daughter that speak to more universal feelings. One of their early conversations touches on several subjects that most mothers might be afraid to vocalize for fear of judgment. Jane admits to Charlotte that she felt very intimidated by her when she was a girl, and from here the walls between them completely crumble until you are left with captivating truth. Revelations about the longing to be tactile with your daughter and basking in their beauty after the age society has deemed it appropriate is a vulnerable confession that is sure to be understood and felt deeply by certain portions of the audience. This portrait of what it means to both a mother to a daughter and a daughter to a mother is starkly beautiful.
By Gainsbourg’s own assessment, it would be another two years before she would convince her mother to continue the process of making this film after that initial conversation proved too disorienting. While the remainder of the film is not absent of deep insights, there is a sense that the filmmaker is now a bit afraid of her subject and handles her with kid gloves. When Birkin gets in the habit of responding in monosyllabic terms, there is a frustrating lack of follow-up to get to the rewarding insights of their first interview. Even when the film is not getting directly personal, other avenues worthy of exploration are likewise mostly avoided. There is a distinct lack of probing the complex emotions that come with being a part of the entertainment business. As the daughter of entertainment royalty herself, Charlotte no doubt knows how the industry can warp your sense of self and reality at large, but the closest we get to this reality is a discussion about the dependency Jane has had on sleeping pills since she was a teenager.
Jane By Charlotte has many rewarding moments that you would most likely only get from the closeness between a parent and child. The movie is at its level best when Jane is discussing her fears around being a mother, the realities of aging, and the loss she has experienced. Unfortunately, the soft touch from Gainsbourg leaves this documentary just a bit less impactful than it otherwise could have been.
Video Quality
Jane By Charlotte comes to Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio from a lovely high definition master. The film primarily consists of new interviews with some the occasional look at vintage home movies interspersed for additional context. The footage both old and new looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition. Some portions of the movie found Gainsbourg taking a more hands-on approach to filmmaking outside of working with her crew due to the pandemic, but no section looks considerably less refined than any other. The transfer appears to have plenty of room to breathe and there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances.
The small amount of older footage and archival photos seems to be the best version of it that would be possible, at least what you would expect from basic recording equipment from the time period. New interview segments look very sleek and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. The colors featured in the film are natural and vibrant as they provide a nice visual pop on screen. Much of the film takes place within lush backyards or along a sandy beach which provides some nice texture to the picture. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to some amount of detail in shadows when the conditions allow for it. I do not see how this transfer could have been improved visually. It’s a beautiful presentation given the original source material that is handled with care by Utopia and Vinegar Syndrome.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French with forced English subtitles that captures this film as well as the source will allow. Dialogue is by far the driving force of the film and it is mostly balanced well with any competing sounds so that words come through clearly. Gainsbourg does a decent job of capturing her subjects considering some of this material was filmed in hectic public environments where sounds were fighting for prominence with environmental noises. The implementation of music establishes a strong mood for the film, and it is resolved well here as it fills the room as it flows into the surround channels. Environmental sounds are plentiful and are replicated perfectly. You could not have asked for a better audio presentation for this one. There are optional English captions included for those who desire them.
Special Features
- Q&A with Charlotte Gainsbourg From The 59th New York Film Festival: A 22-minute conversation hosted by Director of Programmer Dennis Lim with director Charlotte Gainsbourg in which she discusses the evolution of format, how this functions as a story about her mother as well as herself, the initial hesitation from her mother, the total access she received from her mother as the project went along, the balance between the more rudimentary filmmaking and the professional setup, getting to the intimate insights, what she learned during the filming, attempting to not let her father be an overshadowing presence and more. This is a really engaging and insightful piece which fans of the film will enjoy checking out.
- Q&A with Charlotte Gainsbourg Moderated by Jim Jarmusch: A 25-minute conversation between director Charlotte Gainsbourg and filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai) from Quad Cinema in which she discusses the history of the project, why she did not want to stick to conventional biographical structure, the place of Charlotte’s own daughter within the narrative, trying to capture something emotionally honest and much more that is very rewarding.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.
- Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included with the essay “Mother Stands For Comfort: Jane By Charlotte” by writer Heather Drain. This piece does a nice job of unpacking some of the themes and exploring the sensitive nature of the feature.
Final Thoughts
Jane By Charlotte is an engaging portrait of cultural icon Jane Birkin by her equally ubiquitous daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg. The insights into mother-daughter relationships are honest and invaluable, but the construction leaves those who are not already intimately familiar with the subjects more at an arm’s length. The admiration Gainsbourg has for her mother is both understandable and a bit of a limitation when it comes to truly excavating what Birkin has to share with the world. Even with a few cracks in the foundation, this documentary rewards in a multitude of ways. Utopia and Vinegar Syndrome have released a Blu-Ray featuring a very strong A/V presentation and several engaging special features. If you are intrigued by the subjects, this is worth a look. Recommended
Jane By Charlotte is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Utopia and Vinegar Syndrome have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.