Director: Michael Carné
In 1995, a French poll of 600 critics and filmmakers decided that Les Enfants du Paradis was the best film ever made. I don't know about that, but this is truly a great film. It has the sweep and emotional weight of a great 19th century novel. In fact, Libby and I were both strongly reminded of The Idiot in the first half.
Of course, it's also remarkable in that it's a sumptuous period epic made by a French studio during the Nazi occupation. Two of its production team were Jews working from hiding!
The basic story revolves around Garance, a side show actress who attracts four very different men. They all relate to her in their own particular broken way, and we hopefully can learn a little something about ourselves in their respective failings. It's very much a romantic tragedy, but its tone is a well-balanced mix of humor and weight.
