Notes for Children Of Paradise

Film: Children Of Paradise

Year Of Release: 1945

Director: Marcel Carne

Notes from viewing number 1 (24.10.2021)

Rating: 10/10

- For a film that lasts over three hours, it's surpiring that Children Of Paradise never becomes boring. The film's scope is incredibly grand, and many scenes are as chaotic as they can get. It isn't chaotic in a bad way, but in a really good way. It feels like every frame is flooding with life. An impressive achievement from Carne.

- The cast may be one of the best I have ever seen. There isn't one bad performance here. Marcel Herrand, Arletty, Maria Cesares and Pierre Brasseur are some of the stand-outs, but it's Jean-Louis Barrault who takes the cake for me. It's one of the best performances in French cinema. It succeeds on every level possible. Great acting.

- Children Of Paradise is a film of two messages. The first message is about the greatness of art. There's a scene early in the film where Garance is about to get arrested for a theft she did not commit, but is saved by a mime who acts out the theft he has just witnessed. Incidents like this happen throughout the whole film, and the message is simple: Art can save the day.

- Children Of Paradise's other message is a cautionary one. The characters in Children Of Paradise are sent on a journey that leads to self-destruction. Their ignorance and ego is what eventually gets the best of them.