Round Midnight (1986) - French Import DVD [PAL Region 2] - Jazz Movie About American Musician in Paris - Perfect for Jazz Lovers & Film Collectors

IMHO, most reviewers are putting too much emphasis on the jazz side and content of this movie, failing to realize that the jazz back story is just incidental. There is much more to "'Round Midnight" than just jazz - even though there is a lot of TOP QUALITY jazz there. You don't even have to like jazz to like this movie (even though I think one has to be an ogre not to float on the clouds with the magnificent soundtrack put together by Herbie Hancock and played in modest, nearly anonymous, but unsurprisingly superb cameo performances by the likes of Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and of course, Herbie Hancock and Dexter Gordon themselves - not to mention Lonette McKee's AWESOME rendition of "How Long Has This Been Going On?").But "'Round Midnight" is NOT a musical, nor is it about music, musicians or jazz, and if you just want to listen to its (fabulous and Oscar-winning) music, you can buy the CD instead, or download its tracks. What makes it such an outstanding film that hasn't got old almost 30 years later, and the reason why it's one of my all-time favorite movies, is the sensible way it portrays the beautiful friendship of two men from very different backgrounds. When I want to show someone what my definition of TRUE friendship is - not mere "social acquaintance" - I tell them to watch this movie and see the lengths French fan and friend Francis Borler goes to for his idol Dale Turner, an African American saxophonist who, like many of his peers in the 1950s, flees racism and discrimination in his own country by going to Paris, where they were more accepted for their music. Among other things, Francis humiliates himself with his ex-wife, confronts the police and even beats up a drug dealer! I would be capable of doing things like those as well for my true friends (well, maybe not the beating up the drug dealer part...), so I see a lot of myself in Francis.While full of (spectacular) music, this is not a film about music or jazz; it's a film about human nature - and about the better part of it. Just this sets this movie apart - there are LOTS of movies about the worse part of human nature, but not many about its good side that don't fall into the abyss of kitsch and cheesiness. Bertrand Tavernier did that magnificently. Human nature can create Hitlers, but it can also create sublime music, as well as bridges between all kinds of cultural and personal differences, in the name of friendship, shown as a form of love - Socratic love, that intense and special bond that can exist between two men, without any homosexual undertone (in spite of the expression having been used as a euphemism for that in the past).See, for example, how Francis's little daughter Berangère at first is hurt for feeling neglected by her dad, but eventually understands, appreciates and partakes in her father's devotional friendship to Turner. Berangère is a little like us, spectators. And Turner is idolized only up to a certain extent: Francis is an artist himself, albeit of a different kind (a graphic designer), and he is moved above anything by gratitude for the personal growth that Turner's music had catalyzed in him, but he doesn't fail to acknowledge Turner's many flaws, starting with a bad case of alcoholism, self-destructing tendencies, and only relative gratitude. Instead of reproaching his friend, Francis helps him overcome his problems, but keeping in mind that the ultimate choices are Turner's and no one else's, which becomes very much evident at the end.And yes, Dexter Gordon's acting as Dale Turner is surprising and outstanding, as much as his sax playing. Pity that we only had this movie to enjoy it, as his acting talent was discovered only in his old age, and he died shortly after completing this movie.Those who are not used to the European style of cinema may find the movie boring, because its pace is definitely slow, with lots of dialogue interspersed with long silent shots, and psychological atmosphere. Those who are used to it, or who are willing to open their minds, will find this movie beautiful and sensible, and it will give you food for thought for a lifetime. I couldn't recommend it more emphatically!