Zazie dans le Métro (1960)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Zazie dans le Métro (1960) – L. Malle

Manic, nearly anarchic, comedy from Louis Malle (only his third feature) that sees a cute and precocious 10-year-old running around Paris being chased by various adults.  She’s been left with her uncle (Philippe Noiret) who seems to be a drag queen at a nightclub (although married to lovely Albertine, played by Carla Marlier).  Zazie’s main pursuer is Trouscaillon (Vittorio Caprioli) who takes on various roles but is probably a cop.  She primarily wants to ride on the Métro but is prevented because the workers are on strike (causing massive traffic jams that create even more chaos).  Instead, Zazie takes in some scenic locales such as the Eiffel Tower where the principals seem to be engaged in some dangerous stunts (with great views of the city).  Ultimately, this may be a film that loses a lot in translation (through both space and time) with some jokes that work best in French (a lot of wordplay, judging by the forced misspellings in the subtitles) and in 1960 (Jonathan Rosenbaum suggests that there are references to 1950s films here, probably French ones, that I didn’t catch).  However, the main influences are worn on the sleeve (Tati and the Marx Bros. primarily), so if you like them, this may be your thing.  Yet, after all this running around, the film does feel a bit pointless -- but it’s worth watching for its crazy energy and Malle’s willingness to experiment with his camera and the mise en scène (sped up shots, cartoonish slapstick, destruction of the set at the end).