Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin Explore Their Complicated Past in ‘Jane by Charlotte’
Many Americans may not be familiar with Jane Birkin, the English-French actress and singer who was famously involved (and collaborated) with legendary pop star Serge Gainsbourg during the 1970s. Unfortunately, Jane by Charlotte, a study of the artist by her acclaimed actress/musician daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac), won’t provide great illumination for those not already in the know, as it paints a portrait of their relationship that’s so devoid of context, or even basic biographical information, that it plays as more of a personal rumination than a work for a wide audience. Nestled within its non-fiction action are glimpses of the strengths and strains that define this familial duo’s bond, but for the most part, it’s an examination fit primarily for aficionados.
Now playing in theaters following its debut at last year’s Cannes Film Festival (as well as the New York Film Festival), Jane by Charlotte begins with Gainsbourg spying on Birkin from the side of a stage as she makes her entrance to applause and begins singing while accompanied by a Japanese orchestra. Whether this is a stop on an international tour or a one-off performance is both unknown and, apparently, unimportant, since the film has been sculpted as more of a casual, meandering snapshot than a traditional biodoc. That tack certainly generates an intense level of intimacy, as Gainsbourg and Birkin open up to each other in a variety of global locales, from the rooftops of a New York City apartment building, to the kitchen of Birkin’s cluttered rural home, to a studio where the two are participating in a joint photo shoot. What it doesn’t do, however, is ground the viewer in any sort of larger narrative or thematic framework, the result being a sense of eavesdropping on particular, scattered moments in time.
At the conclusion of Jane by Charlotte, Gainsbourg overtly articulates the modus operandi behind this project: to “cling” to Birkin, to the love she feels for her, and more generally still, to an ever-retreating past that refuses to stay stationary. This universal sentiment is the strongest thread running throughout Gainsbourg’s film, and is directly related to her own relationship to her youngest child Jo, whose appearance often casts such ideas in a grander three-generations light. Comparable notions materialize in mother and daughter’s dialogue about their history and their present, lending the proceedings an affectionate wistfulness. Alas, that mood only goes so far, as when Gainsbourg states that she also covets Birkin’s ability to live life with no filters, and no mistrust, which may be true—Birkin says as much earlier in the movie—but proves one of many random utterances heard during the course of this delicately rambling affair.