Widely acknowledged as the crowning glory of classic French cinema, this sumptuous melodrama defied the Occupation stringencies under which it was made. Set in the 19th century Boulevard du Crime where popular audiences for mime shows rubbed shoulders with wealthy patrons of classical theatre, its an extraordinarily rich tapestry and a consummate piece of filmmaking about unconsummated love. In short: a masterpiece..
one of the best french films of all-time !
I watched this on Criterion DVD and it has instantly become one of my favourite French films of all-time. A true masterpiece in every sense of the word. This is an exquisite piece of filmmaking. I am not sure what else coulkd be said that hasn't all ready been repeated numerous times. Watch this.
Well worth a second watch and now possibly one of my favorites because of the fantastically tragic opposing forces adding up to a very real, identifiable ending to what, at times, felt more like a dream. The characters were endearing, which is a large understatement, and no matter what side of the moral spectrum they were coming from, relatable.
Incredibly made, perfectly acted, beautifully written and shot; and I even had the pleasure to see this on 35mm. However that all being said, something about the story didn't exactly click with me. I loved the characters more than I loved the story. That being said, I did find certain aspects of Carne's mediation on love to be brilliant, it just didn't exactly do it for me. Gonna rate it 4 but its more a 4.5 for me.
Witty and impeccably directed tragic-romantic epic which has a better first half and shines during the pantomime sequences.
"Paris est tout petit pour ceux qui s'aiment comme nous"
Entirely adequate in every way, the time passed mostly agreeably. I wanted to like it, I expected to love it, and I did neither.
Impossible not to love every second of this, and graciously adore the character Baptiste... I particularly loved how many of the theater performances where done so patiently, gracefully, sometimes long but never boring, allowing the viewer to be a part of the audience. One of the greatest movies ever.
Just perfect. The best film I've seen all year.
one of the most perfect films I've ever seen. charming, endearing, darkly humorous, masterful.
I know its tough to appreciate the dialogues of a foreign tongue when you are reading subtitles but I cannot help but imagine that this film's dialogues were some of the best I have ever heard.
A magnificent film of love and theater which seems much much grander than the limited scale enforced by filming mostly indoors in Nazi occupied France. The film evinces a mastery of both pantomime and incisive clever dialogue.
A near-Shakespearean tragedy; most tragic for those left to live with the consequences of betrayals and revelation.
It has it all: laughter, joy, sadness, a pure sense of wonder. A film that perfectly represents the european attitude on life - the "joie de vivre", even on the face of misery. The character archetypes are timeless and so could still relate to this day. A true masterpiece.
Les Enfants du Paradis is probably the greatest film ever made. What a pity the title is mistranslated here.
So pure and authentic. You can practically smell the perfume, face paint, and cigarettes.
Astonishing work, loved every second of it. One of the greatest films of all time, made under unbelievably difficult circumstances. Do yourself a favour and see this movie.
its as if Shakespeare's the assistant director or something
complex characters, witty and moving dialogue, amazing cinematography, great acting. It's a perfect film.
Amazing older film that tells a story so well. One of the first movies that truly feels like a work of literature brought to life.
One of the all time masterpieces. Carne's film is near perfection especially considering the time period in which it was shot (occupied France). A moving, wonderful script matched by arresting performances by all performers. Areletty a delight as Garance and the performance by Jean-Louis Brasseur is one of the best performances by an actor in film.
I still think you're missing the point, so I think I'm done talking.
Not everyone knows French. Luckily, films as great as this speak for themselves and transcend language. We are also fortunate to have a wealth of excellent scholarship on this film. Anyone interested in learning more about the choices of the film makers or translators should definitely explore the material on the Criterion edition. The interview with Carné and the excellent commentaries are extremely illuminating.
Brian Stonehill asserts that the title refers both to the actors onstage and "the kids in the balcony." Carné also mentions in a 1990 interview that the title was partially inspired by a famous toy store called "The Paradise of Children."
I think that's all. ^.^()
Additionally, it's explained in the Criterion commentary that Carné discovered the colloquialism "paradis" in a book he found in an antiquarian shop while he was doing research for the film, & fell in love with it. The translators of the subtitles decided to use the English cognate "the gods," which was (is?) used sometimes in London theatres.
Among other things, the film is about 19th century theatrical life- the performers are the children of "the gods/paradise," the audience crowded up in the nosebleed seats. For me, "children of the gods/paradise" also signifies that the characters are helpless to the whims of fate, as destiny is an important theme in the film. Baptiste is doomed never to have Garance, etc.
