Short Take: Round Midnight

The American jazz prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s—bebop, modal, and hard bop, among other styles—is considered by many to be the finest music the United States has ever produced. No film has ever done it as much justice as director Bertrand Tavernier’s Round Midnight. The picture, set in 1959, is about the final months of a legendary saxophone player named Dale Turner (played by the real-life saxophone master Dexter Gordon). It’s centered on Dale’s friendship with a French jazz fan (François Cluzet), and the fan’s efforts to keep him sober and focused on his music. The story isn’t of much interest beyond Gordon’s sweet, melancholy performance as Dale. The film’s real glories are the plentiful musical numbers, performed live by Gordon and other first-tier jazz musicians, including pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and guitarist John McLaughlin, among many others. The selections include standards by Cole Porter, Johnny Green, and Vernon Duke, as well as original compositions from Hancock and Gordon. Two special treats are the saxophone-and-vocals duet by Gordon and Lonette McKee on the Gershwins' “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” and Sandra Reeves-Phillips’ raucous party-scene rendition of Bessie Smith's “Put It Right Here.” Tavernier holds the camera on the musicians for long stretches, and one can see the drama of their performances in their faces. In the moments when the camera glides away, it’s invariably to emphasize the atmosphere inside the nightclubs. Tavernier understands live performance is an interaction between players and the audience. It’s wonderful to see performed jazz presented with such love, respect, and filmmaking intelligence. The magnificent cinematography is by Bruno De Keyzer. Herbie Hancock composed the film’s non-diegetic music and oversaw the recording of the performances. The script, by David Rayfiel and Tavernier (with uncredited contributions from Dexter Gordon), is a loose, fictionalized adaptation of Dance of the Infidels, Francis Paudras’ memoir of his friendship with pianist Bud Powell.