Children of Paradise
1945
Directed by Marcel Carne
Yesterday was my birthday and when my sister asked what I wanted to do, I suggested popping in this obscure little film. I was banking on it being a delightfully entertaining movie to enjoy on my special day. I was pretty wrong about that one.
This movie centers on a fifty year old woman pretending she is twenty and an incredibly annoying mime. They are in love, but alas! She is cursed with great charm so that every man who sees her falls in love with her. I am afraid I suffer from the same ordeal. In any case, this is a love pentagon. Did I mention the annoying mime?
I will start with what I liked. First of all, the history of this movie is fascinating. Several actors were Nazis, some crew members were Jews in hiding, and a few cast members worked for the French Resistance. Talk about drama. The acting is superb, even if the roles are a bit miscast. However, the film is overly long despite what the book says. Also, charming as Arnetty is, I found her character rather flat. Veela simply don't exist in real life.
Film critics love it; personally I thought it was rather dull.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
France's answer to Gone With The Wind. Was anyone waiting for an answer?
Italians left the project when Italy fell to the Nazis.
Most of the men in the film as based off of real people.
