HIGH AND LOW: JOHN GALLIANO (2024)

Directed by Kevin Macdonald

Where & When: Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall, Beverly Hills, CA.  April 2, 2024 8:10 PM

Fresh out of the prestigious Central Saint Martins art college, John Galliano quickly made a name for himself in the world of haute couture with his boldly daring, somewhat wacky, creative style. After receiving rapturous praise for his own line, he was appointed to take over the major fashion house, Givenchy. And as he continued to thrive, Galliano received even more widespread critical acclaim, making him a superstar in the fashion field. But it all came crashing down years later after several booze-driven, racist and antisemitic rants would bring an end to his reign. 

In the documentary, "High and Low: John Galliano", the director Kevin Macdonald allows Galliano to provide his own version of events, not necessarily to offer excuses to what lead to his downfall but to explain how his life experiences and work overload may have contributed to his appalling behavior. 

At only twenty-three, the Spanish born, British raised Galliano became greatly admired for his prodigious talent and effervescent personality. The collection he created for his graduation was inspired by Napoleon and the French Revolution, entitled Les Incroyables. It was a sensation, helping Galliano secure backing for his own clothing label in 1987. And while there was no doubt about his skill as a couturier, much of his clothing was not considered wearable and Galliano had little patience for the financial side of his business.

In search of new financial backing, Galliano headed to Paris and with the support of some important people in the business (which included American Vogue editors, Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley), he managed to secure the funding he needed to continue. With the retirement of Hubert de Givenchy, Galliano was given the reins to design for the clothing line in 1995, receiving high praise from the media and fashion elite. And only a year later, he was moved over as creative director for an even bigger fashion house: Christian Dior where he would remain for the next fifteen years.

All was seemingly going well for Galliano but the pressures of designing several collections multiple times a year lead him to rely on alcohol and other substances for comfort and artistic stability. Then came the moment when he was sitting in a Paris cafe, talking to a couple next to him, and abruptly spewed an antisemitic tirade. It's unclear what triggered his hostile reaction but the troubling encounter was captured on a phone's video camera that surfaced shortly before the unveiling of his latest collection in 2011. The reaction was swift with Galliano fired from Dior and becoming publicly vilified.

Macdonald, who won the 1999 Best Documentary Feature Oscar for "One Day in September" and previously made docs on musicians, Bob Marley and Whitney Houston, allows Galliano in the film to freely discuss his life and career, purposefully not pushing back or challenging his recollections from anyone who worked or was acquainted with the designer. As he recounts his story, Galliano is open, charming and cheerfully chatty, looking back very proudly on what he had been able to accomplish. Yet when reaching the point when needing to discuss the incident, Galliano becomes, somewhat understandably, visibly guarded with his memory now failing him to recall specific details. While he does offer apologies for his behavior, he does seem to want this event to appear more like a terrible misunderstanding than a hateful outburst where he praised the Nazi party.

There are appearances in "High and Low" by former business partners, actors and fashion people who all remain deeply devoted, continuing to praise Galliano and downplaying or simply ignoring the unsavory scandal. The super-model, Naomi Campbell goes as far to state that she has not watched the damning video and doesn't have to, proclaiming that her personal experiences with Galliano is all she needs to know.

"High and Low" seems more motivated in rehabilitating Galliano's reputation as a premiere fashion designer than offering a more honest discussion into antisemitism or an examination on the unrealistic demands placed on creators in the fashion industry. Only three years after his firing, Galliano was hired to join the fashion house, Maison Margiela where he is still currently working although with a much lower profile. While I don't believe Galliano should necessarily receive a lifetime ban from being a professional designer, it does make me uncomfortable in "High and Low" how most of the fashion folk who are interviewed in this make the incident seem blown out of proportion and simply an overreaction.