1945 ‘Les Enfants du Paradis’ Directed by Marcel Carné
Filmed during the German occupation, this French milestone centers around the theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan and the four men who love her. Voted the "Best French Film in History" by the French Film Academy in 1990.
Arletty Jean-Louis Barrault Pierre Brasseur María Casares Marcel Herrand Louis Salou Pierre Renoir Jane Marken Gaston Modot Fabien Loris Marcel Pérès Etienne Decroux Marcelle Monthil Louis Florencie Habib Benglia Rognoni Jacques Castelot Paul Frankeur Albert Rémy Robert Dhéry Auguste Bovério Paul Demange Lucienne Legrand Maurice Schutz Joe Alex Nicolas Bataille Gérard Blain Bill Bocket Albert Broquin Show All…
There is a deeper meaning here, but I don't know if I care. Many have suggested in the past that mere technical brilliance is not enough to carry a film; I am guilty of having believed this once. And to be honest, I don't know if I can spot technical brilliance, but I know spectacle when I see it. I understand the scope of something, and this has a scope that is breathtaking. The idea that technical brilliance cannot carry a film suggests a lack of appreciate for the feeling of wonder. While technical brilliance is not necessary, and while technical brilliance does not necessarily equal greatness, there are times when it evokes such powerful feelings of wonder that it…
Although I’ve watched thousands of films there are still a few classics I have yet to experience. One such film is Les Enfants du Paradis and what better time to watch it since it has recently been restored and released on Blu-Ray. For the eagle eyed amongst you, you will notice I have refrained from giving the film a star rating, not because it is a no star film but because I’m still unsure quite what it deserves. At over three hours it is a sizeable investment of time and I’m not convinced I was quite in the right frame of mind for this type of film. Therefore it is not entirely fair for me to judge it accurately on…
Film #17 of Project 40
”Love is simple.”
Some film historians believe that this was in fact a response to the critically and financially successful Gone with the Wind and you can certainly see the contrasts both in terms of film’s general way of dealing with issues such as love, poverty, the passing of time and loyalty and also in its somewhat gritty visual style which is totally different from the gorgeous and sharp shots of Victor Fleming’s film. Les Enfants du Paradis is filled with the same kind of romanticism which is common in French literature and its epic scale, multiple characters with interwoven storylines and patient pace give the atmosphere of the film the feeling of a classic…
One of my goals is to see all 200 movies listed in Danny Peary's Cult Movie books volumes 1-3. After finishing Children of Paradise...I have now seen 112 of those 200 movies. I actually picked this movie up after reading feedingbrett's review here on Letterboxd. About 30 minutes into the movie I started thinking the movie was one of the Peary movies...and sure enough...it is listed in Volume 3.
As for the movie...I think the best way to describe it is...a classic version of There's Something About Mary....granted this one was made 53 years before Mary...but both movies have a female lead that all men fall in love with. This one is set in Paris in roughly 1830.... four men…
Included In Lists:
Criterion Collection - #141
Sight and Sound Top 250 - #75
Ladies and Gentlemen: The Essentials -#98
Review In A Nutshell:
Children of Paradise is an epic tale of a love story that starts out simple and sweet which eventually becomes complicated and difficult to manage. Its story centralizes on three characters; Baptiste, Frederick, & Garance, that starts off showing them as youths with hopeful ambitions and ending as mature individuals who have established themselves in their careers.
The first thing that one would think of after watching this film would be how romantic this film felt. The tone and idea was everywhere, fuelling almost all of its characters in attaining love in order for them to feel…
Do you remember that illustration from The Five Chinese Brothers? The one near the beginning with the dude who can hold the entire sea in his mouth, and he's standing on the shore with his head as big as a hot air balloon? That's how one feels after completing Children of Paradise; easily one of cinema's grandest buffets. There's almost too much to consume, really. But I assure you; every piece, every morsel, every molecular crumb, is insufferably delicious and entirely essential.
Lately though, I've been noticing fewer people at the restaurant, and find it somewhat concerning...
Much like Gone with the Wind, its American cousin and counterpart, there appears to be an aversion amongst millennials to this romantic epic…
- دعنا نبدأ بتأليف المسرحية
- ومتى ستُعرض المسرحية؟
- لاتقلقوا سادتي، أحداث المسرحية تجري بينما نحن نتحدث وأنت تمثل دوراً فيها.
Film School Drop Outs - Week 7 - Movement - French Poetic Realism (1930-1945)
The fact that this was made during the occupation of France is nothing short of astounding. Romantic and very ...well French in its manner and spirit, there are echoes of Balzac and Hugo throughout. All the characters are intriguingly flawed and have interesting arcs. Overall I'm not sure I think its the greatest French film ever made, but I can see why many in France feel it is.
I would enjoy this film much more if it wasn't 3 hours of spectacle and vapid small talk
Typically I skip right over the DVD extras. But when I saw 'An Introduction by Terry Gilliam' I couldn't resist myself. He is one of my all-time favorite directors. Excitedly, Gilliam talked about Children of Paradise as a visual spectacle. A play in motion. And after watching the film, I couldn't agree more. I can now see why it is one of the greatest influences on Gilliam's work. I saw shades of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Fisher King among many others. As cliche as it sounds, all the world's a stage.
Children of Paradise is pure film. Everything is grand and the characters are rich in depth. It really is quite the visual masterpiece. But its the love triangle at its core that really drives the film to an elite level. I became so invested in the outcome and it didn't disappoint. Leaving the viewer with a few bangs to think about.
Watching this film in 2017, as a new wave of fascism and celebrity-idolatry is taking hold of the western world, it's hard not to see parallels with Children of Paradise, which Marcel Carné made under the shadow of Hitler in Occupied France during the Second World War. The film's story focuses on a group of men who are all obsessed with the same free-spirited woman: one is a successful mime, another a renowned actor, another a wealthy count, another a murderous criminal. In their own ways, all of the men — and the woman herself — seek power from celebrity, resulting in a debased set of relationships with each other. And what was true for Carné in 1945 seems sadly just as relevant today.
Les enfants du paradis/CHILDREN OF PARADISE (1945)
Directed by Marcel Carné.
Scenario by Jacques Prévert.
Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Pierre Renoir, María Casares, Gaston Modot, Jane Marken, Marcel Herrand.
Paul Frankeur in a smaller role.
This rewatch was a real privilege, because it was a one-off showing of the full 182 minutes version AND I was fortunate to watch it on the big screen in a real movie theatre thanks to FOLKETS BIO/The People's Cinema in Umeå, Sweden.
Who would have thought I should get a chance like this?
Might never get it again.
I must admit that it would have been nice to get a pause between the two parts. Nevertheless, NOT ONE SECOND of it felt superfluous.
Gets better with each viewing, too.
THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY GREATEST CINEMA EXPERIENCE EVER.
The showing of GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), in the very same cinema, some years ago, also ranks as one of the greatest.
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