Children of Paradise (1945)

March 15, 1945 (FR) • Drama, Romance • 190m

Overview

In a chaotic 19th-century Paris teeming with aristocrats, thieves, psychics, and courtesans, theater mime Baptiste is in love with the mysterious actress Garance. But Garance, in turn, is loved by three other men: pretentious actor Frederick, conniving thief Lacenaire, and Count Edouard of Montray.

Director

Marcel Carné

Writer

Jacques Prévert

Top Billed

Arletty

Keywords

pantomime anarchist count love thief murder mime black and white false accusations hoodlum

Where to watch

Free / Included

Criterion Channel

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Top Billed Cast

Arletty

Claire Reine, dite Garance

Jean-Louis Barrault

Baptiste Debureau

Pierre Brasseur

Frédérick Lemaître

Marcel Herrand

Pierre-François Lacenaire

María Casares

Nathalie

Louis Salou

Édouard comte de Montray

Pierre Renoir

Jericho

Jane Marken

Mme Hermine

Gaston Modot

Fil de Soie

Fabien Loris

Avril

Marcel Pérès

Le directeur des Funambules

Etienne Decroux

Anselme Debureau

Marcelle Monthil

Marie

Louis Florencie

Le gendarme des 'Adrets'

Habib Benglia

L'employé des bains turcs

Rognoni

Le directeur du Grand Théâtre

Jacques Castelot

Georges

Paul Frankeur

L'inspecteur de police

Albert Rémy

Scarpia Barrigni

Robert Dhéry

Célestin

Pierre Palau

Le régisseur des Funambules

Auguste Bovério

Le premier auteur de "L'auberge des Adrets"

Paul Demange

Le deuxième auteur de "L'auberge des Adrets"

Lucienne Legrand

La première jolie théâtreuse

Maurice Schutz

L'encaisseur agressé par Lacenaire

Joe Alex

(uncredited)

Nicolas Bataille

Extra (uncredited)

Gérard Blain

(uncredited)

Bill Bocket

(uncredited)

Albert Broquin

(uncredited)

Jacques Josselin

(uncredited)

Paul Temps

(uncredited)

Michel Vadet

(uncredited)

Roger Vincent

(uncredited)

Rivers Cadet

Un bourgeois (uncredited)

Jean Carmet

Un spectateur au paradis des Funambules (uncredited)

Jean Diéner

Le troisième auteur de "L'Auberge des Adrets" (uncredited)

Guy Favières

Un encaisseur agressé par Lacenaire (uncredited)

Jean Gold

Le deuxième dandy (uncredited))

Gustave Hamilton

Le concierge du Grand Théâtre (uncredited)

Jean Lanier

Iago - dans la représentation d' "Othello" (uncredited)

Léon Larive

Le concierge des Funambules (uncredited)

Marcel Melrac

Un gendarme (uncredited)

André Numès

L'homme qui se fait voler sa montre (uncredited)

Raphaël Patorni

Un dandy (uncredited)

Lucien Walter

Le marchand de billets (uncredited)

Cynette Quero

La deuxième jolie théâtreuse (uncredited)

Crew

Marcel Carné

Director

Jacques Prévert

Screenplay

Raymond Borderie

Producer

Fred Orain

Producer

Roger Hubert

Director of Photography

Marc Fossard

Director of Photography

Henri Rust

Editor

Madeleine Bonin

Editor

Mayo

Costume Design

Alexandre Trauner

Production Design

Fred Orain

Production Manager

Pierre Blondy

Assistant Director

Jacques Carrère

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Jean Monchablon

Sound

Robert Teisseire

Sound Engineer

Raymond Gabutti

Production Design

Léon Barsacq

Production Design

Joseph Kosma

Additional Music

Maurice Thiriet

Original Music Composer

Léon Barsacq

Art Direction

Raymond Gabutti

Art Direction

Bruno Tireux

Assistant Director

Marc Fossard

Camera Operator

Roger Forster

Still Photographer

Reviews

CinemaSerf

⭐ 7/10

May 16, 2024

Told in two acts with a curtain rising on both sections, this is quite a stylish, lavish even, and entertaining tale of a lady of the streets. "Garance" (Arletty) who sometimes uses her real name of "Claire Reine" is actually quite a decent woman who is wrongfully accused of pickpocketing in a busy market. Fortunately, the mime artist "Baptiste" comes to her rescue and quickly falls hook, line and sinker for the beautiful and charismatic woman. His problem is that she has no lack of suitors, and over the next three hours or so we are introduced to the lively and foppish "Lemaître" (Pierre Brasseur); the even more flamboyant but roguish "Lacenaire" (Marcel Herrand) and the aloof and sterile, but very wealthy "Comte de Montray" (Louis Salou). The plot itself isn't especially remarkable. A woman in the flushes of youth and attractiveness being sought after by a diverse collection of men. What makes this stand out is the marvellously applied mixture of heavily scored theatrical and cinematic styles. It's a love story and an adventure. How might things pan out for her as she ages, though? As her outward beauty begins to fade? Will any of them (or anyone else) still want her? Will she want them? The characters are quite roundly developed as director Marcel Carné takes his time to illustrate not just the persona of the heroine, but also those of her suitors whilst offering us a critique of a society in general that in early 19th century France mixed opulence with poverty, violence with tenderness. By using the different genres of theatre performances, Carné creatively provides us with a more subtle conduit between her series of trials and tribulations that allows us to tap into themes of culture and religion as well as human nature in many of it's guises. Arletty is on great form, as is Brasseur and given it was made just as the Nazi occupation was coming to it's own denouement, is quite an astonishingly artistic achievement that shows a nation with a healthy and defiant confidence in it's own identity and credentials.

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Status

Released

Original Language

Budget

—

Revenue

$1,457

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Children of Paradise (1945)

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

CinemaSerf

Recommended Movies

Blow-Up

Tinsel Town

The Thorn

Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

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