Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Over and over, Madame Alvarez shuts the door to quiet Gigi's mom's singing. What does this say about the character's attitude toward art and performance? How does this get complicated when you think about the fact that Gigi is a Hollywood movie, written by theatre people, based on a novella?
- Often, songs in the movie function as inner monologues: characters confess their secret feelings and private complaints. How does the sound, tempo, and arrangement of a song like "The Parisians," say, reflect the quality of Gigi's emotions?
- We learn all about Gaston's post-Liane exploits through a series of headlines and brief scenes. How does the use of gossip mag headlines as a story device reflect the values of Gigi's characters, or contradict others'?
- How does the use of repetition in scene-sets affect the viewer's understanding of Gigi's evolution throughout the film?
- Compare Gigi to another innocent escort: Julia Roberts' Vivian in Pretty Woman. How does the time period impact the way others think of them?
- In what ways does the use of color in the interior sets reflect or contrast against the moods of the characters?
- Gigi goes from clumsy schoolgirl to elegant society sophisticate in a hot second. Do you think present-day audiences would "buy" a character like Gigi in present-day? What would have to change? What could remain the same?