American in Paris

For those of you who don't know the name Gene Kelly, you are really missing out. Gene Kelly was one of Hollywood's biggest stars during the golden era of musicals. If you haven't seen him in anything, you should check out An American in Paris (1951). This film won 6 Oscars in its day, and it's not because of the quality of acting alone. The dancing is SUPERB.

I should tell you that this movie has been on my list of things to see for quite some time because of its title and its leading man. Since I am about to embark on my own journey to Paris, I decided that now would be the perfect time to view this American masterpiece. And I think it was a wonderful decision!

If you can't speak French and you don't know a thing about the French, there are a few details about this movie that won't matter to you. For me, they made the whole thing. First of all, just hearing French people speaking English is wonderful. There is something about the accent that is particularly endearing. Anyway the more important thing is that they actually do have moments of French dialogue. They aren't even throw-away lines like they do in modern movies; they are things that characterize the people and give veracity to a film whose climax is a ballet.

Secondly, I appreciated the fact that the two American leads are the ones who love jazz and tap dance - both distinctly American. The entire soundtrack of the movie is Gershwin. Translation: breath-taking! Combined with the beautiful ballet lines of the female lead, I think that the movie reflects the magic that happens when Americans encounter French culture.

Thirdly (and lastly because I could go on forever), the ballet sequence is absolutely a must-see. This epic drama occurs at the emotional climax. Coincidentally, the dialogue ends minutes before the ballet. I would take this kind of a scene over a dialogue-heavy climax any day! Kelly's choreography is visually stunning throughout, but my favorite part is when he interprets two of Toulouse Lautrec's famous paintings as dance. The average modern viewer might not immediately recognize these works, but if you have ever seen the stereotype of French art, you kind of have an idea of the style of Toulouse Lautrec. For someone like myself who is a student of French culture, I was overjoyed to find a visual reference to the paintings. Just the icing on an already delicious cake!

This movie has made me want to jump on the plane to Paris right now, but I will be patient. In the meantime, I will also be on the look-out for other films of French-American intersections. Preferably involving Gene Kelly.