“Children of Paradise” DVD
Set in 19th century Paris, the great French-language classic "Children
of Paradise" traces the interconnected lives of four major characters:
Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault), a mime; Lemaitre (Pierre Brasseur),
an actor; Lacenaire (Marcel Herrand), a criminal who is also a writer;
and Garance (Arletty), a free-spirited woman who lives off her good
looks and skills as a courtesan. The intersecting paths of these four
characters lead to a volatile mix of love, jealousy, and heartbreak
that results in murder and bittersweet love-making. The best brief
description of this richly textured movie I've seen is the one written
by the late Pauline Kael where she called it "a film poem on
the nature and varieties of love--sacred and profane, selfless and
possessive." "Children of Paradise" is near the top
of my personal list of the greatest movies of all time. |
