Children of Paradise
(Les enfants du paradis)
With Pierre Brasseur, Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault.
France, 1945, 35mm, black & white, 187 min.
French with English subtitles.
A powerful romantic drama set against the backdrop of the Parisian stage in the mid-nineteenth century, Children of Paradise remains one of the most beloved films of the French cinema. Jacques Prévert’s screenplay fleshes out the demi-monde realm of actors, courtesans, cutthroats, and aristocrats with the naturalistic vitality of a Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac. The central action takes place in a small theater on the infamous “Boulevard du crime,” where Baptiste Debureau (Barrault), a sensitive mime, falls hopelessly in love with the actress Garance (Arletty), who is courted by three more successful suitors. From this enchanting love story, Prévert and Carné weave an imaginative web of reality and artifice, using the stage as a metaphor for life.
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
Children of Paradise
Fanny and Alexander
Milestones
Serge Daney: Journey of a Ciné-Son
Fanny and Alexander
Hiroshima mon amour
Children of Paradise
