Just a Gigolo
Just a Gigolo

Just a Gigolo

1978Movie147 minGerman

After World War I, a war hero returns to Berlin to find that there's no place for him--he has no skills other than what he learned in the army, and can only find menial, low-paying jobs. He decides to become a gigolo to lonely rich women.

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Insights

IMDb5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes20%
Director: David HemmingsGenres: Comedy, Drama, Music

Plot Summary

In post-World War I Berlin, Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski, a Prussian army captain, returns home to find his family bankrupt and his future uncertain. He takes up work as a gigolo in a Berlin nightclub, entertaining wealthy and often lonely women. As he navigates this decadent world, he grapples with his identity and the changing social landscape of the Weimar Republic.

Critical Reception

Just a Gigolo was met with largely negative reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment. It is often considered one of David Bowie's weakest film performances, despite his commitment to the role. The film's thematic elements and narrative coherence were widely criticized.

What Reviewers Say

  • David Bowie's performance is often cited as the film's main draw, though many critics found it insufficient to salvage the weak script.
  • The film's pacing and disjointed narrative were frequently criticized.
  • The portrayal of the era and its social issues was deemed superficial by many reviewers.

Google audience: Audience reception for 'Just a Gigolo' is mixed to negative, with many viewers finding the film slow and unengaging despite David Bowie's presence.

Fun Fact

David Bowie, who starred as the titular gigolo, also contributed two new songs to the film's soundtrack: "Revolutionary" and "Joe the Lion" (an alternate version).

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TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

When the fastidious "Lt. Paul Przygodski" (David Bowie) returns to Berlin society after the end of the Great War, he finds that things have profoundly changed and that his skills - such as they are - are not going to help him make much of a...