Children of Paradise
I have read so many conflicting things about "Children of Paradise," including that it is supposedly the greatest French film of all time. When I first watched it, I admit to being disappointed. It seemed a terribly dated piece of entertainment that had a couple of interesting performances and an interesting back story as to its filming. Bare bones, it is a story of a pantomime, Baptiste, who falls in love with Garance, an elegant woman, down on her luck at times, who seems to be every man's friend.

Being a modern and decidedly casual film goer - and certainly no critic, as my reviews would readily attest, I became impatient with what I felt were cartoonish characters and ridiculous theatrical scenes in front of a unbelievably enthusiastic audience. (Did they really find Baptiste's pantomime so sublime and swoon-worthy? I found it interesting for all of two, maybe five, seconds.)

However, I watched it a second time and found myself more wrapped up in the lives of the characters, the spectacle of the Funambules Theatre and its lively audiences, both the richly detailed interior and exterior sets, the exquisite photography during a duel scene.

For me, Arletty improves with a second viewing. I initially couldn't understand how all these men went gaga over this woman who in her forties didn't seem to look as good as a Deneuve in her fifties. There was one scene in which she was in a state of undress, her stooped, rounded shoulders almost grandmotherly, and you wonder how a man in his twenties might realistically be so infatuated with her as to risk everything. Watching her performance again, her Garance has a worldliness and a wisdom that perhaps one might find alluring.

Pierre Brasseur as actor - and sometimes soused buffoon - Frédérick LeMaître livens up every scene he is in, and María Casarès adds a touch of poignancy to her role as Baptiste's long-suffering wife.

What didn't improve for me is the character of Baptiste, played by Jean-Louis Barrault. I found his character to be so insipid and so immature that I couldn't understand why Garance would fall in love with him. He is a great pantomime, to be sure, but as a husband, a father, and a lover, he is feckless. Sure, he is supposed to be a little naïve in the beginning, but he does nothing to redeem himself in the end, making Garance's continued affection puzzling, to say the least, considering that she seems indeed so worldly and wise.

Perhaps a third viewing will make me reconsider.

Most overrated film in history?
I'm sorry, but this film has little to recommend: it's way too long, terribly over-acted, has French mimes, and one especially can't care at all for the fate of the self-centered characters. I kept hoping someone would simply murder all the main characters in a fit of bored rage! and bad mimes bring out the homicidal rage in nearly all Americans, with good reason.

It's gets a star for the crowd scenes, very well faked, not staged looking like the comparable Gone with the Wind (also a terribly overblown and boring soap opera.) Good reviews rave about "the trouble it had being filmed in occupied France" -- so, does that make every film made in occupied countries better? The only good actor in the film is Arletty, and even she seems to smirk at the inane "dialogue of love", which is totally unbelievable at all times. If the French are truly like this, no wonder they lost every modern war! The only other plus goes to the fine Criterion print: I hear that it's a major improvement over the theatrical or VHS versions, but that still won't fix the boring plot, the length, the cutesy mimes, or the over-acting. It's too bad they just did't film a Dickens novel with the same crew.

The Children of Paradise
This truly is a wonderful film. Beautiful filming and amazing performances. It is a particular must see for anyone interested in mime, Jean-Louis Barrault is an absolute genius.

Rife with Style and Substance...
I can't say much that hasn't already been said. It's considered among the great films of all time, and this Criterion DVD is quite fine. My problem is that most of the disc 2 extras were written; it's universal acclaim could certainly used one of our many great film historians to tell us a bit more about the making of this sublime film. Director Marcel Carné worked under horrible circumstances, filming as the Germans were invading Paris. The turn of the century period flavor is beautifully captured, and though France's economy was teetering, the ambivilence of the then-King (Louis-Philippe?) allowed everything and anything to happen. The public sought refuge from the daily grind in the theatre, and shows went on all day. Most interesting. "L'Enfants du Paradis" was nominated (1946) for Jacques Prevert's complex screenplay. The following year they started giving special Oscars to Foreign Language Films. The VERY American Academy didn't seem to know that brilliant films were made elsewhere. Fritz Lang was never nominated, nor Renoir (at least not for a foreign language film). That "Grand Illusion" was nominated for Best Picture in 1938 is confusing; it's only nomination. (Certainly deserved)That may explain why Jean-Louis Barrault wasn't nominated. We had to wait till Sophia Loren exploded with her magnificent performance in '61 in "Two Women", before the Academy took notice. A shame that Giulietta Massina wasn't recognized for "La Strada" or "Nights of Cabiria". Or Toshiro Mifune, during the 50's, in ANY of his Kurosawa performances. Since there wasn't much left to say about how wonderful "L'Enfant du Paradis" truly is, I thought I'd take this opportunity to provoke a few thoughts...

A Play in Two CDs
I got the two CD set as a rental and I will relate my exasperation with CD number one because I have an observation or two to share from that experience. The problem with CD #1 was that I could not play it without having to bear the running commentary (in English) of some "expert" who presumably spent 3 hours describing the various important aspects of the film. In fairness to this individual, his preface stated that you wouldn't be listening to him unless you'd already seen the movie. However, I was not granted that reprieve. I tried a variety of ways to shut him off (I realize I'm probably saying more about my own technological ineptness) but the only resolution was to watch the first CD with no sound (there were, of course, English subtitles that enabled me to follow along). Well, the movie was OK but nothing to live up to its' billing.

After all the false starts, it was too late to watch the second CD so, after playing the beginning and hearing the actor's French instead of the "expert's" English, I called it a night. Today I watched (and listened to) the second CD and was completely blown away. I could only surmise that I was really missing the effect of the first CD by not getting the audio effect; especially, the inflections and emotions of the actor's voices. I was reading the same subtitles but, this time around, there was a world of knowledge and meaning in everything that was being said. I recognize the absence of all the previous night's frustration as well as the presence of the effects of a good night's sleep may have combined to aid the impact of the second CD. I also surmised that setting the stage can be laborius at times (like reading a book that doesn't take off until page 220). However, my two observations from this experience are 1) always watch a foreign language film in it's original audio with subtitles in order to get the real effect of the movie. I know people who won't watch a foreign movie unless it's dubbed already (and many of the older, lesser movies are that way). I tell these friends that they are leaving much of the film's artistry in the hands of someone whose real talent is having a flexible speaking tempo that fits the movements of the screen actor's mouth. My second observation is that no one should pass judgement on "Les Enfant's du Paradis" until they've watched the whole movie. Don't worry, it didn't take long into the second CD before greatness started spewing forth.

"Les Enfants du Paradis" is a stunning portrate of a group of people in 19th Century France and their relationships with one another. They are all from different backgrounds and economic levels but their actions and inactions affect one another. That's the plot of many movies (especially if you throw out the part about 19th Century France). However, in this movie, the dialogue is virtually Shakespearean (come to think of it, some of the dialogue IS Shakespearean). I found myself awed by the depth of meaning in the words that I was reading (and hearing with the excellent acting once I got the audio). If special effects and action are your thing, this is not your movie. However, if the slings and arrows of misguided fortune enchant your artistic appreciation, this movie is a must.