Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
TITLE DETAILS

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

2010-01-20 · 130 min · ★ 6.9

Drama

A glimpse at the life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg, from growing up in 1940s Nazi-occupied Paris through his successful song-writing years in the 1960s to his death in 1991 at the age of 62.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Joann Sfar
Production companies
France 2 Cinéma, Studio 37, One World Films, Lilou Film, Focus Features, Canal+, Universal Pictures, Kinology, France Télévisions, La Région Île-de-France
Countries
France, United States of America
Status
Released

Top Cast

Éric ElmosninoÉric ElmosninoSerge Gainsbourg
Lucy GordonLucy GordonJane Birkin
Laetitia CastaLaetitia CastaBrigitte Bardot
Doug JonesDoug JonesLa gueule
Anna MouglalisAnna MouglalisJuliette Greco
Mylène JampanoïMylène JampanoïBambou
Sara ForestierSara ForestierFrance Gall
Kacey Mottet KleinKacey Mottet KleinLucien Ginsburg
Răzvan VasilescuRăzvan VasilescuJoseph Gainsburg (le père)
Dinara DrukarovaDinara DrukarovaOlga Gainsburg (la mère)
Philippe KaterinePhilippe KaterineBoris Vian
Deborah GrallDeborah GrallElisabeth Levizky
Yolande MoreauYolande MoreauFréhel
Ophélia KolbOphélia KolbLe Modèle
Claude ChabrolClaude ChabrolLe Producteur Musique de Gainsbourg
François MorelFrançois MorelLe Directeur de l'Internat
Philippe DuquesnePhilippe DuquesneLucky Sarcelles
Oliver CywieOliver CywieGosse Internat 1

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Streaming

Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel

Rental

Google Play Movies, YouTube

Purchase

Google Play Movies, YouTube

Free

Kanopy

With ads

Cineverse

View authorized watch options on TMDb

Recommendations

20th Century Women
★ 7.3
20th Century Women2016Drama

In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.

Rocketman
★ 7.3
Rocketman2019Drama

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

Better Man
★ 7.6
Better Man2024Drama

Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Nowhere Boy
★ 7.2
Nowhere Boy2009Drama

A rebellious teenager, future Beatle John Lennon lives with his Aunt Mimi in working-class mid-1950s Liverpool, England. Mimi's husband suddenly dies, and John spies his mother Julia at the funeral. Despite Mimi's misgivings, John intends to have a real relationship with his mother. Julia introduces him to popular music and the banjo and, though a family conflict looms, young John is inspired to form his own band.

The Chronology of Water
★ 6.7
The Chronology of Water2025Drama

Plagued by an abusive childhood, a woman finds escape in competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction before ultimately finding her voice through writing.

Blonde
★ 5.9
Blonde2022Drama

From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, this reimagined fictional portrait of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.

Factory Girl
★ 6.0
Factory Girl2006Drama

In the mid-1960s, wealthy debutant Edie Sedgwick meets artist Andy Warhol. She joins Warhol's famous Factory and becomes his muse. Although she seems to have it all, Edie cannot have the love she craves from Andy, and she has an affair with a charismatic musician, who pushes her to seek independence from the artist and the milieu.

The Florida Project
★ 7.4
The Florida Project2017Drama

The story of a precocious six year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure while the adults around them struggle with hard times.

Mommy
★ 8.2
Mommy2014Drama

A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.

The Color Purple
★ 7.7
The Color Purple1985Drama

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.

Hounddog
★ 6.5
Hounddog2008Drama

A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.

Love Streams
★ 7.2
Love Streams1984Drama

Two closely-bound, emotionally wounded siblings reunite after years apart.

The Doors
★ 7.1
The Doors1991Drama

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

Bird
★ 6.9
Bird1988Drama

Saxophone player Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker comes to New York in 1940 and is quickly noticed for his remarkable way of playing. He becomes a drug addict but his loving wife Chan tries to help him.

The Starling Girl
★ 6.3
The Starling Girl2023Drama

17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.

Nocturnal Animals
★ 7.4
Nocturnal Animals2016Drama

Susan Morrow receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband – a man she left 20 years earlier – asking for her opinion of his writing. As she reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a mathematics professor whose family vacation turns violent.

A Thousand and One
★ 6.6
A Thousand and One2023Drama

Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.

Welcome to the Rileys
★ 6.6
Welcome to the Rileys2010Drama

Years after their teenage daughter’s death, Lois and Doug Riley, an upstanding Indiana couple, are frozen by estranging grief. Doug escapes to New Orleans on a business trip. Compelled by urgencies he doesn’t understand, he insinuates himself into the life of an underage hooker, becoming her platonic guardian.

Distant Voices, Still Lives
★ 6.9
Distant Voices, Still Lives1988Drama

Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. It is a joyous occasion, but through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the family was not always happy. Their father was physically abusive to his wife and left the children emotionally traumatized. As a result, the children have grown into unhappy adults, looking for love they didn't receive when they were young.

Born to Be Blue
★ 6.5
Born to Be Blue2015Drama

Jazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.

Similar titles

Riot at the Rite
★ 8.0
Riot at the Rite2005Drama

In the spring of 1913, Parisian businessman Gabriel Astruc opens a new theater on the Champs Elysées. The first performance is the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring', danced by the Ballet Russes. The rehearsal process is extremely fraught: the orchestra dislike Stravinsky's harsh, atonal music; the dancers dislike the 'ugly' choreography of Vaslav Nijinsky. The volatile, bisexual Nijinsky is in a strained relationship with the much older Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballet Russes' charismatic but manipulative impresario. Public expectation is extremely high after Nijinsky's success in 'L'apres-midi d'un faune'. Finally, 'The Rite of Spring' premieres to a gossip-loving, febrile, fashion-conscious Parisian audience sharply divided as to its merits.

Brighton
Not rated
Brighton2026Drama

Brighton is a delightful short film capturing the joy of family, travel, and living in the moment. Sanjay, a funny and vibrant personality, decides to take his sisters, Kirshma and Rita, on a memorable trip to Brighton, a lively seaside resort in the United Kingdom. Traveling from Aldershot, the trio embarks on their adventure, filled with laughter, conversations, and excitement. Once in Brighton, they immerse themselves in the fun-filled atmosphere, exploring the iconic beachfront, enjoying the lively promenade, and creating memories they'll cherish forever. Set against the backdrop of Brighton's rich history, dating back to the Bronze Age and Roman times, the film reflects on the beauty of life's journey. It serves as a reminder to savor every moment, as life is an endless adventure waiting to be enjoyed. Brighton is a heartwarming story about family bonds, the joy of exploration, and the timeless charm of one of England's most beloved seaside destinations.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
★ 7.3
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert1994Drama

Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.

American Splendor
★ 7.1
American Splendor2003Drama

An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.

42nd Street
★ 7.0
42nd Street1933Drama

Broadway director Julian Marsh needs just one more hit show so he can retire and recover his health. It looks like he just may pull it off until temperamental star Dorthy Brock breaks her ankle on the eve of the show's premiere and has to be replaced by her understudy Peggy.

Mary Queen of Scots
★ 6.5
Mary Queen of Scots2018Drama

In 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.

Baby Udon
★ 6.0
Baby Udon2026Drama

Fanny Kondoh, a young Indonesian woman, falls in love with Hajime Kondoh, a Japanese man who comes to Indonesia for work. After getting married, Fanny and Hajime begin building a life together, embracing both its joys and challenges. As they struggle to fulfill their dream of having a child, they are faced with one heartbreaking trial after another, testing the strength of their love, especially when Hajime is diagnosed with cancer.

The Dark World
★ 6.3
The Dark World1953Drama

Based on the real life story, the director turned his camera towards the real world of Âşık Veysel, the great poet who wandered around the Anatolian villages.

Pirogov
★ 7.4
Pirogov1947Drama

A biopic based on the life of Russian scientist and doctor Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881), famous for being the founder of field surgery.

Belinsky
★ 5.9
Belinsky1953Drama

A biopic based on the life of Russian literary critic Vissarion Belinsky (1811–1848). The production of the film was completed in 1951, but it was not released until 1953, following the reshooting of various scenes demanded by Stalin.

Das letzte Stück Himmel
★ 7.2
Das letzte Stück Himmel2007Drama

There are two brothers who couldn't be more different. One, Anno Wilhelm, loves life and seeks to savor it in every way; the other, Julian, would like nothing better than to die. He has already made several suicide attempts, been hospitalized and suffered breakdowns. The men, in their late 20s, both grew up without a mother and have a difficult relationship with their father.

Blow
★ 7.4
Blow2001Drama

The story of how George Jung, together with the Medellín Cartel led by Pablo Escobar, established the billion-dollar cocaine empire in the United States in the 1970s.

Three Seasons
★ 7.2
Three Seasons1999Drama

The residents of Ho Chi Minh City face modernization amid widespread poverty. A retired American Marine arrives on a search for his daughter, whom he abandoned at the end of the Vietnam War. Elsewhere, a cyclo driver falls for a troubled prostitute and schemes to raise money so he can spend time with her. Additionally, a young women begins harvesting lotuses for a writer suffering from leprosy, and a child trinket seller loses his traveling case.

Friends
★ 5.9
Friends1971Drama

Paul, a rich English boy, and Michelle, an orphaned French girl, run away from home to a remote beach. Living on their own, their friendship grows into love.

Odette Toulemonde
★ 5.7
Odette Toulemonde2007Drama

Objectively, Odette Toulemonde has nothing to be happy about, but is. Balthazar Balsan has everything to be happy about, but isn’t. Odette, awkwardly forty, with a delightful hairdresser son and a daughter bogged down in adolescence, spends her days behind the cosmetic’s counter in a department store and her nights sewing feathers on costumes for Parisian variety shows. She dreams of thanking Balthazar Balsan, her favorite author, to whom – she believes – she owes her optimism. The rich and charming Parisian writer then turns up in her life in an unexpected way.

The Believer
★ 6.9
The Believer2001Drama

A hardcore US racist skinhead who, because of his intelligence, leads a gang dedicated to fighting the enemy: the supposed American-Jewish conspiracy for domination. However, he's hiding a secret: he's Jewish-born, a brilliant scholar whose questioning of the tenets of his faith has left him angry and confused, turning against those who he thinks have a tragic history of their own making.

Dokuz Dağın Efesi: Çakıcı Geliyor
★ 8.0
Dokuz Dağın Efesi: Çakıcı Geliyor1958Drama

The film traces the life of Çakırcalı Mehmet Efe, a Zeybek (active as an outlaw in the region enclosing İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla and Antalya in modern western Turkey, from 1893 to 1910) whose father, Çakırcalı Koca Ahmet Efe was murdered by an Ottoman sergeant.

Changeling
★ 7.6
Changeling2008Drama

Los Angeles, 1928. When single mother Christine Collins leaves for work, her son vanishes without a trace. Five months later, the police reunite mother and son. But when Christine suspects that the boy returned to her isn't her child, her quest for truth exposes a world of corruption.

Bronce
Not rated
Bronce2019Drama

Years after the death of their parents, two stepbrothers reunite to steal bronze epitaphs from cemeteries, but not even the loot can redeem or remedy the impossible.

Dark Blue Almost Black
★ 6.7
Dark Blue Almost Black2006Drama

Jorge feels suffocated by his menial job but can't break free of the obligations that keep him stuck — until he meets a woman who shakes his life up.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.