Film Review
One of the classier MGM musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age,
An
American in Paris offers a view of Parisian life that few French
natives would recognise (and the same goes for much of the spoken pidgin
French). The film's fanciful depiction of the City of Lights as a
haven of sweet bonhomie and even sweeter romance is an idealistic fabrication that borders
on the quaintly absurd, but this matters not one jot. What we have
here is an adult fairytale set in the mythical Paris of our dreams, a
colourful musical
billet doux
between two nations which were, at the time, obsessively infatuated
with each other's culture. The film takes its title from a symphonic poem by
the composer George Gershwin, written in 1928.
Under the masterful direction of Vincente Minnelli, and with Gene Kelly
performing and choreographing the film's ambitious song and dance
numbers to perfection, the film could hardly fail to impress.
Audiences and critics loved the film when it was first released and it
has since come to be regarded as one of the finest of the great
Hollywood musicals. The film was nominated for eight Academy
Awards, winning the Best Picture Oscar as well as five additional
awards for its art direction, costume design, cinematography, score and
screenplay. That year, Gene Kelly was given an Honorary award, in
appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and
dancer.
An American in Paris marked
the auspicious screen debut of French-born actress Leslie Caron.
The talented nineteen year-old epitomises the French gamine and she would
later take the lead in Minnelli's next, even more successful musical,
Gigi
(1958). Here, Caron's on screen rapport with Gene Kelly is
exquisite and heartfelt, helping us to overlook the apparent dearth of talent in the supporting
cast and some of the film's needless artistic excesses. The
latter are exemplified by the lavish impressionistic ballet which comes
near to the end of the film - twenty minutes of self-indulgent artifice
which the film could probably have done without. By contrast, the
uplifting songs from George and Ira Gershwin (including hits such as
I Got Rhythm and
'S Wonderful) are spot on and
perhaps, more than anything, justify the film's enduring popularity.
© James Travers 2010
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Next Vincente Minnelli film:
Father's Little Dividend (1951)
Film Synopsis
After WWII, ex-serviceman Jerry Mulligan decides to stay on in Paris
and pursue a career as an artist, seeking inspiration from the city he
has fallen in love with. Like his friend Adam, an unemployed
concert pianist, he has difficulty getting by on what he earns, but he
would not live any other way. One day, a wealthy society woman,
Milo Roberts, surprises him by buying two of his paintings. Jerry
becomes suspicious of Milo's motives when she lures him to her
apartment but accepts her help in putting together an exhibition of his
work. Whilst Milo is clearly infatuated with Jerry, he only has
eyes for Lise, an attractive shop girl. Unfortunately, Lise is
affianced to one of Adam's friends, the popular singer Henri Baurel...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.