Les Enfants du Paradis lecture notes PDF

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Introduction to French Cinema – Lecture 2 (LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS) EARLY FRENCH CINEMA  

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Paris = avant garde capital of the world in the early 1900’s 1895 – First moving picture by the Lumière Brothers. Although they invented the first moving image, they undermined the art of cinema and said it’s “an art without a future” Georges Méliès considered to be the first true artist of motion pictures – had an artistic interest in theatre, visual illusion and magic. He added special effects which paved the way to a new form of cinema. Want to attract audiences from a working-class background at this early stage 1896 – Charles Pathé created Société Pathé Frères was the first international company and biggest in the world – French cinema dominated the industry. Comedy become the most popular genre (still is in France today). We see the introduction of stars. Rise of Abstract art (Dadism/Surrealism) – these films didn’t appeal to a wide audience – “films created by intellectuals for intellectuals” First “talkies” brings the silent era to an end – 1929 Wall Street Crash.  this gives rise to the Golden Era of French Cinema (Les Enfants du Paradis is a part of this Golden Era)

History during Les Enfants du Paradis     

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The great depression had a massive impact on the worldwide film industry 1936 – First Socialst gov in France (Front Populaire) 3 years later FP loses power and the threat of war becomes ever more president because of the growing tensions between European states. 1939 – war declared. June 14 = the Germans occupy French capital, and Petin stays and collaborates with the Germans and creates the Vichy government Cinema during the occupation suffers heavy blows – German films are imported, Anglo-American films were banned and France suffers and mass exodus of many of its major stars However, some saw French Cinema as a means of escapism. It is also during this time that a handful of French films are released which are still considered masterpieces today Late 1930s-1940s = POETIC REALISM

POETIC REALISM

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Wanted to represent life through poetic realism/through the perspective of an artistic medium The director wanted to portray his own outlook on life – aim was to show real-life but was interested in focus on working class communities/culture, not Bourgeois drama – set in urban spaces (the streets/bars/theatres/factories). Everyday people, everyday settings, everyday experiences but through this ‘dreamy’, ‘lyrical’ approach. It was influenced by German expressionism and Italian realism, but also naturalism Tended to be heavily pessimistic – lost illusions/love triangles/doomed quests for happiness/a character’s tragic destiny which is undermined by fate and is inescapable Form of lighting that uses black and white to emphasis emotion – expressionistic (e.g. the light can fall on characters faces to highlight their expression) Witty/lyrical dialogue Les Enfants du Paradis was a key Poetic Realist film during the Occupation

Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)       

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Directed by Marcel Carné who also directed Openly gay – many of his films contain references to male homosexuality “one of the greatest films of all time” – considered to be a land-mark films in French Cinematic history Made during the Occupation but actually set in the 1840s Set in two parts Centres of the Theatre de Fanambules and Boulevarde du Temple Garance is the object of desire of four different men - Baptiste the mime - Frédérick the actor (brief relationship) - Le Compte – views her as an object - Pierre Lacenaire - thief/murderer/assassin Nathalie saves Baptiste from hanging himself Garance is mistakenly accused of murdering someone and calls on the Compte The second part starts several years later Nathalie and Baptiste are now married and have 2 children Baptiste and Federick have both become stars (one mime one actor – playing on difference between silence and talkies) Garance watching Baptiste suggesting her love for him Garance leaves Nathalie and Baptiste in a state of heart-break – very pessimistic ending TRAILER – aspects of poetic realism = set in the streets, reveal of love is very lyrical, expressive lighting used to express the characters’ emotions, complex narrative surrounding love, Arletty (Garance) who is a key figure in this movement

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Extremely intense film impacts the production of the film – two of the film crew here Hungarian Jews, had to replace one of the actors because of his pro-Nazi views, all props had to be purchased on the black market because they were seen as commodities. Took 2 years to film Set design – Alexandre Tranner Script written by Jacques Prévert (who wrote a lot of poetic realist films and was very lyrically) Purposely slowed down the production of the film so it could be the first film of liberation instead of last film of occupation For Carné this film really represented his attempt to show the dominance of German and American films by making a spectacular film that was “distinctively French” – challenged the dominance of Hollywood and Germany

KEY THEMES in the narrative     

Plays on the distinction between reality vs Theatre, tragedy and something References to mime, pantomime, melodrama and tragedy Over the top/excessive (very melodramatic) The title refers to the Gods (the seats highest up who were typically reserved for working class people as they were the cheapest) Key characters: - Garance – Arletty - the most important female figure in the poetic realism movement – hugely famous and popular star in France at the time). In the film she plays a liberal and sophisticated women, very free-spirited, “liberty and freedom” is very important to her. Throughout the film she refeuses to be possessed or control by any man (love) and rejects anyone that tries to take away her freedom. - Lacenaire – considered as Garance’s alter-ego. Enegmatic and mysterious (like G) desires nothing more than to be free. One of the most famous lines in the film belongs to him … “…to be loved by no-one, to be free”. He is controlling and dangerous (a theif and assassin) his love for G proves to be the most dangerous. - Baptiste – a mime and hopeless romantic – his love for G is true and honest but doomed for failure. Through the character of Baptiste Carné has an homage to early French Cinema (silent) - Frédérick – BAPTISTE’S counterpart in the terms of romantic love. Rising star in the world of theatre (talks) Values his freedom. He sleeps with women freely but becomes quite attached to G. This emotional attachment to G is what allows him to play his part on stage because he knows how to feel when playing Othello on stage (who is a jealous character) - Comte de Montray – unlike other characters he is upper-class. He expresses his love for her in formal, business-like terms. He views her as an object, whose beauty makes her an appropriate partner for him

Jérico – Jack of all trade – he connects allof the characters together. He is reminiscent of something. He sells stolen goods, is manipulative – he manipulates each of the characters in their persuit of G Allegory of French resistance under Occupation: - Garance represents captured France - the fear of occupation - Theatre can be regarded as a form of escapism for the French – collective spirit

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Can we see this film as an allegory?...