the sparrow

In addition (and inspired) by one of my usual babblings with a friend of mine, I eagerly want to share some thoughts of a film I recently seen; La Môme (shown as La Vie En Rose in Britain and the United States). This is a wonderful film that taught me of the life of one of great music legends in the world; Édith Piaf. The signature singer of La Vie En Rose.

An only 147 cm woman who caught so many ears and eyes through-out her life. That's how she got the name; Piaf; Francilien colloquialism for sparrow - the name that she received years later. She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris, the high immigration district. Both of her parents had a little knack (imho) for art. Her mother was an Italian-Algerian who was working as a cafe singer. Her father was working as a street acrobat who had a past working at the theatre. Later both of them abandoned her, and that leaded her to stay with her maternal grandmother for a while. Before the World War I where her father enlisted in, he took her to stay with his mother who ran a brothel in Normandy. Those prostitutes helped to raise her. And one of them was like a mother to her.

It was told that Édith had keratitis, that made her allegedly blind for some years in her childhood life. It was told in one of her biographies that one of the prostitutes of her grandmother's brothel that was closed to her, pooled money to send her on a pilgrimage honoring Saint Thérèse de Lisieux. After being send to the pilgrimage, she was miraculous healed. On which in the film, later it was portrayed that whenever she countered with problems, she would pray to Saint Thérèse de Lisieux. I find it very inspiring, because inside a very passionate soul, lied a fragile character.

After living with her grandmother in the brothel, her father came back from war. And he took her back to live in Paris. Where she would go with him to his street acrobat performances. There was one time where one of his father audiences asked for what she would do. And that was the first time she sang in public. In that film, it was told that the first she sang in public, she sang one of the legendary French March songs. Later on she began to work as a street singer in the streets of Paris suburbs. Her friend joined her, Simone Berteaut ("Mômone") in this endeavor, and the two became lifelong partners in mischief. On one of her usual street sing performances, she has stolen the heart of a nightclub owner Louis Leplée, whose club Le Gerny off the Champs Élysées was frequented by the upper and lower classes of Paris. He taught her the basic of stage presences and told her to wear black dress which later became her trademark, and also he was the one who named her Piaf or La Môme Piaf (The Little Sparrow, based on her small figure and her voice strength). For moments later, Papa Leplée, that was the name she called him with, murdered by the mobsters. Because of this she received many negative media attention. And so to rejuvenate her image with the help of Raymond Asso, whom she would also become romantically involved. She then changed her stage name from La Môme Piaf to Edith Piaf. From the help of Asso, she became even more successful and world-wide-well known. Her first come-back performance was enchanting for me to see. Her very small figure, and her distinctive voice really stole back the hearts of many Parisians. If I were living in that era and in Paris, without a doubt I would be one of her biggest fans.

But it is too bad that the film; La Môme, didn't tell much about her love life. It didn't tell me in details of the first relationship she had with a man that eventually became the father of her daughter; Marcelle, who died of meningitis at such a young age. Like her mother who was also street singer - the first scene of the film was opened with her mother singing in the streets and abandoned her - Piaf abandoned her child. She often left her child uncare. And although it was briefly displayed, I know by heart of how disappointed she was of leaving her child behind. It was ironic though, that her daughter's name was also the name of one of her most intimate lover. It was told from the film (although I am not quite sure if that's true or just a myth) that the song La Vie En Rose was like a song of Piaf with Marcel Cerdan. Because there was a scene in the film where Piaf sang that song in New York for Cerdan. And when Cerdan, the married world boxing champion returned to Paris, they greeted him with that song. So their affair made to international headlines. It was because of his death (imho) that she really hit rock bottom in romance. He died on a plane crash from Paris to New York in order for him to meet her. The scene in the film when her friends broke the news of his death to her was just sad. And Marion Cotillard (who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Piaf) was brilliant. That scene honestly took my breath away. It was one of the scenes I learned that Piaf was a very passionate person. And often misunderstood.

As I googled her more, I found out that she has been married twice, and the husband that was told on the film was her second husband. It was him who took her to rehab for drug (morphine) and alcohol addiction. Yeah well from the start, her life was really a "rock and roll" one. With all the non-stop boozes. I love to drink, but sad for me I get drunk far more too easily (hence my user-name). I pictured myself if I were living her life, I would be so drunk that maybe I would skip a lot of after parties!. But anyway, the fact that she used alcohol to run from her trouble was such a cliche one. And that was one of the reason for me to "label" her as passionate. Because sometimes when we are too passionate about something that we love so much, we are in a fragile state and that is going to be too easy to do something crazy (but hey, this is just me, don't mind me babbling :P). But one of the facts that made her addicted to morphine was she had car-accident that broke her arm and ribs. Two more near-fatal car crashes exacerbated the situation.

On 1963, Piaf died of liver cancer. I didn't know this fact if I weren't googling her so. It was told that she died on the French Riviera. And that her second husband secretly carried her body to Paris so that her fans would think she died in her hometown. On the film I never knew where she died, I knew that she died with the company of her nurse while she reminisced back her life and her daughter.

Her last performance on the film was when she was singing her very famous song; Non, je ne regrette rien in the Paris Olympia concert hall. Her last recorded song was L'homme de Berlin.

I really love this film, basically because I love to know history behind great legends. And I learned a lot from it. Most is that even such a tragic life she had, Piaf had no regrets. Like her song lyrics;

No! No regrets

No! I will have no regrets

All the things that went wrong
For at last I have learned to be strong

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets
For the grief doesn't last
It is gone

I've forgotten the past
And the memories I had
I no longer desire
Both the good and the bad
I have flung in a fire
And I feel in my heart
That the seed has been sown
It is something quite new

It's like nothing I've known

No! No regrets
No! I will have no regrets

For the seed that is new
It's the love that is growing for you

© frettyaulia, 14.03.2008

*summarized from wikipedia also.