Film Review: Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du paradis, 1945)

To say that American and French cinema industry took very different paths at the end of first half of 20th Century would be an understatement. In 1939 Hollywood produced Gone with the Wind, epic period melodrama which would become commercially most succesful film of all times and part of global popular culture that exist to this day. Six years later came film which is often considered to be French answer to Gone with the Wind. It was Children of Paradise, 1945 epic period melodrama directed by Marcel Carné, film which is today mostly known for winning critics’ polls about best films of all times and being deeply appreciated by hardcore cinephiles.

Children of Paradise, just like Gone with the Wind, is set in 19th Century. The plot begins in late 1820s Paris, namely in Boulevard du Temple, which was theatre district at the time, nicknamed “Boulevard du Crime” (“Boulevard of Crime”) because of crime melodramas used to be the most popular plays among mainly low class audience. Among many performers who make their living there is Claire “Garance” Reine (played by Arletty), beautiful free-spirited woman who would ultimately catch attention of four very different men. One of them is Frederick Lamaitre (played by Pierre Brasseur), hedonistic and womanising actor who dreams of becoming the star in “proper” theatre. Second one is Baptiste Debureau (played by Jean-Louis Barrault), talented and sensitive mime who works in cabaret-like Theatre de Funambules. Third is Pierre-François Lacenaire (played by Marcel Herrand), thief and murderer with literary ambition. They all covet Garance but she will be ultimately taken by fourth man, rich and influential Count Edouard de Mornay (played by Louis Salou) who would keep her as his mistress. After six years absence Garance returns to Boulevard du Crime, where he finds Frederick as toast of Paris, while Baptiste, equally successful, still works in Funambules and is married to Nathalie (played by Maria Casares), daughter of theatre’s owner with whom he has another son. Garance apparently has feelings for Baptiste, and when Frederick discovers that, he would use his own jealousy to master playing lead character of Othello. Lacenaire would, on the other hand, react in a very different way, leading to bloodshed.

Children of Paradise was almost instantly proclaimed as the best film in history of French cinema. It was undoubtedly the most expensive by that time and it could easily be seen in introductory scene which features Boulevard du Crime (demolished in mid 19th Century) being painstakingly reconstructed through the great studio set and use of hundreds of extras wearing not only standard period costumes but also all kinds of clothes you might associate with different types of street and more “proper” entertainers. Carné, aided by cinematographer Roger Hubert, provides fascinating reconstruction of period even in scenes with interior settings, especially theatres in scenes directed with obvious devotion for stage and its world. Jean-Louis Barrault, who actually gave idea to Carné what the film should be about, displays great talent of pantomime and simply shines in scenes during which he plays Pierrot-like character and, at the same time, paying homage to silent film comedies of Charles Chaplin. Carné was, however, more fascinated with long gone past and the three main male characters that appear are historical – Lamaitre was indeed one of kings of French theatre in 19th Century, Baptiste Dubureau is credited for developing modern pantomime while Lacenaire’s crimes and his defiant justifications for it provided inspiration for Dostoyevsky and character of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. Through those characters and their interactions with both aristocratic upper class and theatrical demi-monde Carné paints fascinating picture of the world that doesn’t exist, while his favourite scriptwriter Jacques Prevert delivers great dialogue and themes of social division and different attitudes to love that, despite their ocassionaly over-melodramatic treatment, seem as relevant today as they were two centuries ago.

Carné’s achievement looks even more impressive when put in the context of extremely difficult conditions under which his film was made. When production started in 1942, France was under occupation of Nazi Germany and Carné had to shuttle production between Vichy-controlled and German occupation zone. Authorities banned any film longer than hour and half, so Carné made film in two parts. While period setting and main theme prevented any problems with censorship, Children of Paradise suffered because of logistic and financial problems. Film was originally supposed to be co-produced by Fascist Italy, but its capitulation in September 1943 meant that Carné had to spend large amount of time trying to find alternative source of financing. He also had to make sure that French fascists, which were part of his cast and crew, somehow miss presence of his production designer Alexander Trauner and composer Joseph Cosma, who were both Hungarian Jews and, as such, most likely to be persecuted by authorities. As production was nearing its end, Carné deliberately was postponing its finish, hoping that he could end it without such consideration after France gets liberated. His patience paid off and Children of Paradise was finished with some of the scenes reshot (namely those in which character of street peddler Jericho, originally played by fascist actor Robert Le Vigan, got replaced by Pierre Renoir). Children of Paradise premiered shortly before the end of war in Europe and, despite its epic running time of more than three hours, became massive hit and beginning its unstoppable conquest of critics’ and film scholars’ heart and minds.

While much of the praise for Children of Paradise is well-deserved, the film is not perfect and the reasons for that are probably the same as those responsible for those that it doesn’t have as much sway over today’s generation of viewers as certain Hollywood classics of the same period. Some might point to black-and-white cinematography that partially degrades it epic scope. For some, Arletty, who was in her forties during production, simply doesn’t have the proper look of femme fatale that would create such havoc among hearts of so many different men. But those problems, mostly solved with efficient makeup and lighting tricks, look minor in comparison with characterisation which isn’t always tidy. While characters of Baptiste and Frederick are well-drawn and played beautifully by Carné’s old associates Barrault and Brasseur, character of Lacenaire, who was, by all accounts much more interesting, isn’t developed enough and motives for his sinister actions remain an enigma until the unusual but somewhat un-cathartic finale. However, even with those flaws Children of Paradise is truly remarkable piece of cinema France has all reasons to be proud of.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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