Les Enfant du paradis

You should try to see other films by Prévert/Carné, there are a lot. Carné was considered one of the greatest directors in the world for a long time (his film Le jour se lève made the Top 10 Sight & Sound poll in 1952, its first year), but his prestige was considerably diminished by the auterist/Cahiers crew and subsequent generations of film buffs.

Where do you live? If you live in the US there are only a few on DVD, if you live in the UK there are many available from France.

Anyway, some titles:

Drôle de drame (or Bizarre, Bizarre)--coming out on DVD in the US soon.
Quai des brumes (or Port of Shadows)
Le jour se lève
Les visiteurs du soir

Prévert also wrote great films for/with Jean Renoir and Jean Grémillon. He was sort of ubiqitous--as a poet, as a screenwriter, and a left-wing journalist (and a songwriter!) in the 30s.

Anyway, it is fabulous when you emerge from the movie and everything has a different cast, even the air has changed; I feel more alert and aware of every sound, smell, sight. Coming out of the Brattle in Boston after seeing Ordet was the greatest such experience for me.

I actually think Prevert's best writing is the films he made with Jean Gremillon and Pierre Laroche, Lumière d'été and Remorques (the latter has my favorite Jean Gabin role outside of Gueule d'amour .

This miming and constabule confounding is merely secondary! MEN.

Also yes, I see your point about the *depressing* nature of the film, but the treatment of everyone as an object to be kept or adored or the inverse is a given in my cosmology... haha! just kidding!

this thread is so cliquey now, that I'm going to post falco here!

It is a good movie, it should be watched. The bad thing is having to get up halfway thru and change discs!!

OTM.

Finally saw this (first part last night, second part tonight -- I actually think it works well with that bit of separation). I still can't believe I found the Criterion double-disc version used for $20. More thoughts later.

Dude, Tom -- it's worth seeing, seriously.

Nope, but god knows I love the quality of the actors' voices, beautifully cast for that reason alone. V. easy to get into (and I love Them Other Two Film Classics too, so there ya go).

Any love for Les Bas Fonds?

Incidentally, Barrault and his wife founded the Théâtre Marigny in '46 and put on plays there for ten years. He was the theater director for the Théâtre de l'Odéon from '59 until '68, putting on plays by Duras, Beckett, Genet, and Ionesco and only being kicked out after he let soixante-huitard students occupy the theater for a month. From '66 to '68, he was also the director of the Théâtre des Nations, bringing over, notably, Peter Brook's Living Theater. He had several other theaters afterwards. He is known in the States primarily as a film actor and he did continue to work in films for many years but amongst the French and especially amongst actors, he is revered for his commitment to the stage.

Still so much I could say about this film and I almost don't know where to start. Hmm hmm hmm. For a beginning, then, I think this is a film where its 'minor' characters almost uniformly play key roles, and that if they weren't there then it wouldn't be as grand as it is. And I say that noting that there's a striking, almost dramatic difference between those characters who individually speak and 'the mob,' whether it's the audience at the various theaters or the crowds on the Boulevard, who often seem to speak in one voice. Not a deep thought, perhaps, but it struck me, and I am still teasing it out. If Prevert's screenplay was more or less followed faithfully then I really have to praise him beyond measure.

As I was looking up some info on Barrault, I found something of trivial interest for all the Amélie lovers and haters. It's full title in French, translated, is 'The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain' and appears to be calqued directly from Sacha Guitry's screenplay Le destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary, filmed in '42, a story about a young marseillaise destined to marry Joseph Bonaparte who falls for his brother, Napoleon. She ends up marrying one of his Marshals, Bernadotte, who eventually becomes king of Sweden.

I saw it a few years ago on a crappy two-part videocassette. The Criterion edition has always been on my list of essential purchases. Damn Ned to hell for buying it for $20 :)