Rene Clair, a distinguished French director, was part of a group of artists that captured the atmosphere of the times they worked into film. "Sous le toits de Paris", was a silent movie to which sound was added. Mr. Clair didn't quite appreciate this new technique of the cinema. Like in most of his films, music dominates the background, as seen in other films he directed, most notably, "Le million" and what might be considered his masterpiece "A nous la liberte", which was shown recently at New York's Film Forum.
The film is simple and sweet. It shows a slice of life in a Paris that doesn't exists anymore. This demimonde of pickpockets and petty criminals get a great treatment from Mr. Clair and his collaborators. This movie shows a bygone Paris neighborhood with its inhabitants that enriched the popular culture with the songs they sang and the places they met.
Albert Prejean, Pola Illery, Edward Greville, and Gaston Modot, who was "the man" in Bunuel's "L'age d'or" give their characters authenticity and bring great charm to our enjoyment of the film. The song in the film is like an anthem dedicated to the Paris Rene Clair and his contemporaries adored.
The film is simple and sweet. It shows a slice of life in a Paris that doesn't exists anymore. This demimonde of pickpockets and petty criminals get a great treatment from Mr. Clair and his collaborators. This movie shows a bygone Paris neighborhood with its inhabitants that enriched the popular culture with the songs they sang and the places they met.
Albert Prejean, Pola Illery, Edward Greville, and Gaston Modot, who was "the man" in Bunuel's "L'age d'or" give their characters authenticity and bring great charm to our enjoyment of the film. The song in the film is like an anthem dedicated to the Paris Rene Clair and his contemporaries adored.