Marcel Carné

Children of Paradise

Children of Paradise

Poetic realism reached sublime heights with Children of Paradise, widely considered one of the greatest French films of all time. This nimble depiction of nineteenth-century Paris’s theatrical demimonde, filmed during World War II, follows a mysterious woman (Arletty) loved by four different men (all based on historical figures): an actor, a criminal, a count, and, most poignantly, a mime (Jean-Louis Barrault, in a longing-suffused performance for the ages). With sensitivity and dramatic élan, director Marcel Carné and screenwriter Jacques Prévert resurrect a world teeming with hucksters and aristocrats, thieves and courtesans, pimps and seers. And thanks to a major new restoration, this iconic classic looks and sounds richer and more detailed than ever.

Film Info

  • France
  • 1945
  • 190 minutes
  • Black & White
  • 1.37:1
  • French
  • Spine #141

TWO-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • Pathé’s 2011 restoration of the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Audio commentaries by film scholars Brian Stonehill and Charles Affron
  • Video introduction by director Terry Gilliam
  • Restoration demonstration
  • U.S. trailer
  • Once Upon a Time: “Children of Paradise,” a 2009 documentary on the making of the film
  • New visual essay on the design of Children of Paradise by film writer Paul Ryan
  • The Birth of “Children of Paradise,” a 1967 Rob Houwer Film documentary featuring interviews with director Marcel Carné; actors Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, and Pierre Brasseur; production designer Alexandre Trauner; and others
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew and excerpts from a 1990 interview with Carné

Cover based on an original set design painting by Alexandre Trauner

Purchase Options

TWO-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • Pathé’s 2011 restoration of the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Audio commentaries by film scholars Brian Stonehill and Charles Affron
  • Video introduction by director Terry Gilliam
  • Restoration demonstration
  • U.S. trailer
  • Once Upon a Time: “Children of Paradise,” a 2009 documentary on the making of the film
  • New visual essay on the design of Children of Paradise by film writer Paul Ryan
  • The Birth of “Children of Paradise,” a 1967 Rob Houwer Film documentary featuring interviews with director Marcel Carné; actors Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, and Pierre Brasseur; production designer Alexandre Trauner; and others
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew and excerpts from a 1990 interview with Carné

Cover based on an original set design painting by Alexandre Trauner

Children of Paradise
Cast
Arletty
Garance
Jean-Louis Barrault
Baptiste Deburau
Pierre Brasseur
Frédérick Lemaître
Pierre Renoir
Lacenaire
Marcel Herrand
Jéricho
María Casares
Nathalie
Louis Salou
Count Edouard de Montray
Credits
Director
Marcel Carné
Screenplay
Jacques Prévert
Producer
Raymond Borderie
Music
Joseph Kosma
Music
Maurice Thiriet
Editing
Henri Rust
Editing
Madeleine Bonin
Costumes
Antoine Mayo
Production design
Alexandre Trauner
Cinematography
Roger Hubert

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