L'air de Paris (1954)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Marcel Carné

Writers:

Marcel Carné (screenplay)
Jacques Sigurd (dialogue)

Release Date:

24 September 1954 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

City Name In Title | Paris | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Gabin	...	Victor Le Garrec
Arletty	...	Blanche Le Garrec
Roland Lesaffre	...	André Ménard
Marie Daëms	...	Corinne
Maria-Pia Casilio	...	Maria Pozzi (as Maria Pia Casilio)
Ave Ninchi	...	Mme. Pozzi
Simone Paris	...	Chantal
Marcelle Praince	...	Vieille dame
Mathilde Casadesus	...	Voyageuse (as Mathilde Casadessus)
Maurice Sarfati	...	Jojo
Lucien Raimbourg	...	Hospital worker
Sébastien Ferrer	...	Boxer
Legendre	...	Boxer
Streicher	...	Boxer
Roger Michelot	...	Coach

Also Known As:

Air of Paris (International: English title)
Aria di Parigi (Italy)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Paris Studios Cinéma, Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Del Duca Films

Time had taken its toll.

There are interesting films in Carné's post Prévert career:"Thérèse Raquin" and "les tricheurs",to name but two.But this one is not among them.The screenplay,written by Carné and Jacques Sigurd -who was also Yves Allégret's best script writer- is rather weak and the dialogs seem to have been made" in the style of Jacques Prévert",but few lines are really potent.This is the clichéd story of a poor young man of whom a former boxer(Gabin) wants to make a champion.But his wife(Arletty) is not prepared to it and gets in the way.Besides ,the relationship between the poor lad -an orphan who always loses-and a posh girl (à la "Rose and Jack" in a movie whose name escapes my mind)never rings true.

15 years had passed since Carné directed Gabin and Arletty in his masterpiece "le jour se lève" and time had really taken its toll.Both seem jaded,particularly Arletty whose part is thankless .You should try Julien Duvivier's "sous le ciel de Paris" instead of this.That's really old hat!