This film is a heart breaker. I am a big fan of Edith Piaf, and having spent some time in France – I believe that her sound really is the soul of her Nation. Her life, like the tone of her voice and her music, was tragic. There are moments of sheer triumph and moments of the most desperate kind of despair. It took a life like this one to produce the voice of the sparrow with such depth of feeling.

The saddest thing about this film is not its content though, it’s that so many people don’t even know who Edith is and certainly (if) they see the film would not understand her greatness. With modern singers having such an array of styles and tones, I think her nasal edgey style might be mistaken for something less than say someone like Jennifer Hudson (who certainly can sing!) but is simply in a different catergory all together. In any case, if you don’t mind subtitles and can stand to witness the making of a tragic but meaningful icon in French history, you should take the time to see this.

Currently listening:

The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Edith Piaf
By Edith Piaf
Release date: 30 July, 1991