Gitanes: An Old-School Trip into Faded French Drama

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't watch Gitanes unless you’ve got a real soft spot for early French cinema. If you dig The Wishing Ring: An Idyll of Old England, maybe you'll find something here. But if you’re looking for a brisk Friday night flick, look elsewhere. It’s slow. It’s very, very old.

The whole thing feels like a dream you had after eating too much cheese before bed. The framing is tight, almost claustrophobic at times.

Odd Little Moments

• There’s a scene near the middle where the background extras look like they forgot they were being filmed. Someone is just staring at a wall for an uncomfortable amount of time.
• The lighting in the exterior shots is so harsh it feels like the sun was personally attacking the actors.
• You can really tell the budget wasn't exactly overflowing, but they made it work with what they had.

Charles Vanel shows up, and he’s the only one who seems to know what year it is. He’s got this intense way of looking at people that makes the other actors look like they’re just waiting for their cue. It’s a bit jarring. Sometimes the rhythm just falls apart, like the editor was working on a deadline and just said 'good enough.'

It’s not trying to be 'A Santanotte, thankfully. It stays in its own lane. Does it succeed? I don't know if that's the right question. It exists. It's a snapshot of a different world, for better or worse.

Sometimes the camera lingers on a prop—a chair, a glass, a hat—for just a second too long. Like the director was really proud of that specific chair. It’s weirdly endearing. 🚬

Anyway, don't expect a masterpiece. Expect a relic. It's dusty, it's imperfect, and it's definitely not for everyone. But for the three people reading this who care about this stuff? You’ll probably like it fine.