Film Review
Although lacking the maturity and stature of other silent films of the period,
Paris
qui dort is nonetheless one of the most important films in the history of French cinema.
It is the first film of the great French film director, René Clair, and also -
although it was not seen as such at the time - the first ever science-fiction movie.
Although the science-fiction element of the film is pretty naïve by today's standards
(apparently, the entire world can be knocked out by changing one coefficient in a quadratic
equation...), the film is years ahead of its time in terms of photographic technique and
comic performances, and it also manages to make some valid statements about human nature.
The scenes filmed on the Eiffel Tower are both daring and beautifully done, to the extent
that the tower becomes an important player in the drama. At the time,
La Tour
was seen as a symbol of modernity and optimism, a beacon for future prosperity, whilst
echoing France's great cultural heritage, and is hardly surprising that it should be the
focus for so many French films. (The symbolism has continued up to the present day.
Just look how often the Eiffel Tower crops up in films of the New Wave, for instance.)
Whilst the scenes filmed on the Eiffel Tower are easily the best of the film, there are
also some interesting shots of Paris and Parisian life in the 1920s. Most of the
film was shot out-of-doors, and we get to see a real biplane coming into land, external
shots of some famous monuments before the advent of
modern architecture, and a
Paris swarming with horse-drawn carriages and classic motorcars (even in the 1920s, Paris
was a beehive of active). As a result, the film is an important historical record
as well as a fine example of early 20th century entertainment.
© James Travers 2000
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Next René Clair film:
The Phantom of the Moulin-Rouge (1925)
Film Synopsis
Albert, the young keeper of the Eiffel Tower, awakes one morning and is at
once struck by how quiet it is. From his vantage point on the third
level of the tower he cannot help noticing that the whole of Paris is at
a complete standstill. Coming down from the tower, Albert's curiosity
is further piqued when he sees a total lack of motion at ground level.
Cars and people are completely motionless, all of the clocks are stuck at
9:25. It is as if time has stopped right across the sprawling metropolis.
The young man's fears that he might be the only person to be unaffected by
this bizarre occurrence are allayed when he meets up with a group of five
people who have just arrived in the city by aeroplane. These consist
of a pilot, a rich businessman, a policeman, a crook and an adventuress.
Eager to make the most of the situation they find themselves in, Albert and
his new friends embark on a day of hedonistic excess, beginning with a visit
to a popular night spot. With the help of the crook, they then set
about robbing a bank and raiding the city's most exclusive shops. Now
rich beyond their wildest dreams, they retire to the Eiffel Tower and soon
discover that wealth is not all it is cracked up to be. Bored with
their new life, Albert and his friends are on the verge of coming to blows
when they suddenly hear a voice on the radio.
The voice is that of a young woman who turns out to be the niece of a maverick
scientist who is responsible for the state that Paris now finds itself in.
It seems that the latter has invented a machine that emits a special ray
that renders immobile anyone or anything that is caught in it. Albert's
party make their way to the scientist's home and convince him to switch off
his infernal creation. Now that life has returned to normal, Albert's
five friends take their leave and Albert can pursue an idyllic love affair
with the scientist's niece. Life on a shoestring does not appeal to
the tower keeper and his sweetheart, so they decide to use the scientist's
crazy ray for their own advantage...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.