‘This enigmatic masterpiece about love remains one of the greatest treasures in classical French cinema’
Consistently voted ‘The best-loved French film ever made’, Les Enfants du paradis has been meticulously restored for a Second Sight release on Blu-ray and as a two-disc DVD set (17 September 2012).
The opulent two-part epic from director Marcel Carné and screenwriter Jacques Prevért brings to life the world of the Parisian theatre in the 1830s. The tale revolves around streetwise courtesan Garance (Arletty) falling in and out of love with a smittened mime-artist, a spirited actor, a materialistic aristocrat and an egotistical criminal.
High melodrama ensues as jealousy, unrequited love, heartache and murder all play out over 182-minutes – and every second is utterly captivating. When the curtain came down on the first part, I was so swept away by the film's evocative sets and wonderfully engrossing performances, that I had to watch the second instalment without a break.
A huge success on its 1945 release, just six months short of the Liberation of France, Les Enfants du paradis has now become one of the greatest treasures in classical French cinema, and its also an extraordinary achievement in the context of wartime restrictions. Like a fine vintage 'French' wine, it has aged spectacularly well – in fact, it has never tasted better thanks to the stunning restoration.
The Second Sight release is a real must-have, while the extras perfectly illustrate not only the mammoth restoration process involved in breathing new life into the classic, but also the film’s important historical context.
In French with English subtitles
Released 17 September on Blu-ray and DVD through Second Sight
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