Film Review
In common with many of his contemporaries of the late 1920s, director
René Clair was apprehensive about the impending transition from silent to
sound cinema, and this is apparent in his first sound film,
Sous les toit de Paris.
Although the film has a number of scenes with recorded dialogue, it is
essentially a silent film to which sound elements have been added in a
rather tentative and somewhat piecemeal fashion. If the sound
were taken away completely, the film would probably be just as
effective in telling its story, although it would undoubtedly lose some
of its charm.
Notwithstanding its tentative use of sound,
Sous les toits de Paris is a
beguiling film that ranks as one of Clair's finest achievements
as it evokes not only the era in which it was made but also
the soul of the City of Lights. In its day, the film was
hugely popular - in fact, one of the
most successful French films of the 1930s. Through its realistic
sets and inspired photography, its sympathetic working class heroes and
melodious street songs, it transports us to a place and time far
from our own, where life appears so much more innocent and good-natured.
There is an aura of romance and optimism, of youth and gaiety, that
pervades
Sous les toits de Paris,
perhaps more intensely than any other film of this era. The
characters we see are poor, ordinary folk living humdrum lives in drab
living quarters, but Clair brings a striking sense of poetry to this
milieu. His very distinctive style, which achieves an effortless
marriage of romanticism and naturalism, presages the poetic realist
trend that would prevail in French cinema throughout the decade to
come. There has probably been no filmmaker in the history of
cinema who has captured the true spirit of Paris, the City of Lights,
more vividly in his films than René Clair.
The credits for
Sous les toits de
Paris includes an impressive set of luminaries who should be
known to any serious French film enthusiast. Playing the part of
Albert's friend Louis is a young Edmond T. Gréville, just
before he embarked his own highly successful filmmaking career.
Clair's assistant director on this film was none other than Georges Lacombe,
who would also become a notable film director, as would his editor
René Le Hénaff.
© James Travers 2008
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Next René Clair film:
À nous la liberté (1931)
Film Synopsis
In a working class district of Paris in 1930, a young man named Albert
makes a modest living as a street singer. One day, he meets an
attractive young Rumanian woman, Pola, and instantly falls in love with
her. Pola is equally taken with Albert and agrees to move into
his cramped lodgings, although this is partly to escape the attentions
of another avid admirer, the villainous Fred. When the police
discover stolen goods in his room, Albert is arrested and sent to
prison. He is cleared and released several days later, only to
learn that Pola has switched her attentions to his best friend, Louis...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.