Gigi is basically a romance, set in Paris, that follows the life of Gigi as she matures from a silly school girl into a charming young woman, according to what her aunt deems as charming. The film explores what love really means. In the case of Gigi's aunt, love is shown through jewels from admirers, not through marriage. Gigi, however, seems more interested in true love. The difficulties she faces, though, is Parisian society in 1900 and being in love with a man (Gaston) who prefers lovers over having a wife.
The shocking part of Gigi was the discussion of suicide. Gaston learns that his lover is cheating on him, and he confronts her lover and ends the relationship. As a result of the public embarrassment, the woman kills herself, and Gaston is actually praised by his uncle for his first suicide. It was really appalling, and the only redeeming aspect is that Gaston does seem to feel some guilt over the suicide. His uncle advises him to remain in the public and move on as usual, and while Gaston does as his uncle says, he is reluctant and eventually stops the whirlwind partying. Gaston is a character who is easy to dislike; he is rich and arrogant and doesn't treat women with respect, except for Gigi because she's so different than the others. It's only through his relationship with Gigi and the kindness he shows her mother that he becomes a decent man.
I should mention some of the songs in the film. Two in particular are quite well known. The film opens with "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", sung by the uncle:
The uncle also acts as the narrator throughout the film, telling the audience Gigi's story and interacting with his nephew Gaston.
The other well-known song is "I Remember It Well", performed by the uncle and Gigi's mother:
In this song, the uncle's character is definitely revealed. He is a thoughtless man who uses his charm to woo women. At one time, Gigi's mother fell for his charm, but she realizes what he is like and leaves him. Although Gigi seems like a strong woman at times in the film, it seems that her strength is the result of her mother's strength, which is more subtle. Her mother is a realist; she knows that because they are not wealthy, Gigi will not have as many options in life. She also knows that Gigi dating Gaston is going to be fully covered in the society pages (think paparazzi) and that dating Gaston may mean that Gigi will have fewer options after the relationship ends. Her mother's acknowledgment and sharing of this information with Gigi makes the mother strong because Gigi sees that she has a choice, even if that choice means less money for them.
Overall, Gigi was surprising to me. As a musical, the songs were flirty and upbeat, but the actual storyline had dark moments. This contrast made the film more realistic, as life has ups and downs and love is not easy.
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