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.
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
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
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
