Paris in Cinema

Radboud University Faculty of Arts Master Creative Industries Master Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Christophe van Eecke Second reader: Dr. László Munteán Paris in cinema - The representation of Paris in the films An American in Paris by Vincente Minnelli, Playtime by Jacques Tati and Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain by Jean-Pierre Jeunet Marie Rode Student number: 1010570 Table of Contents A. Summary .............................................................................................................................. 2 B. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 I. Literature Review: Paris' role in cinema and media tourism .................................................... 7 C. Main Part ........................................................................................................................... 12 I. Film Analysis An American in Paris ........................................................................................... 12 1. Approach and background ............................................................................................ 12 2. Narrative ....................................................................................................................... 14 3. Characters ..................................................................................................................... 21 4. Film finale ..................................................................................................................... 24 5. Use of colour and visual references .............................................................................. 31 6. Use of music, sound and speech ................................................................................... 32 7. Representation of Paris and cultural mindset ................................................................ 33 II. Film Analysis Playtime ............................................................................................................... 37 1. Approach and Background ........................................................................................... 37 2. Narrative ....................................................................................................................... 41 3. Characters ..................................................................................................................... 43 4. Film Finale .................................................................................................................... 48 5. Use of colours and visual references............................................................................. 52 6. Use of music, sound and speech ................................................................................... 55 7. Representation of Paris and cultural mindset ................................................................ 57 III. Film Analysis Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain ................................................................ 61 1. Approach and Background ........................................................................................... 61 2. Narrative ....................................................................................................................... 65 3. Characters ..................................................................................................................... 69 4. Film Finale .................................................................................................................... 74 5. Use of colour and visual references .............................................................................. 76 6. Use of music, sound and speech ................................................................................... 81 7. Representation of Paris and cultural mindset ................................................................ 83 D. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 86 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 95 Appendix ................................................................................................................................ 100 A. Summary This master thesis analyses the representation of Paris in film as cinema has turned Paris into a city of symbolic value, being attached to several meanings and images. Hence, the three films An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli, 1951), Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967) and Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) have been chosen in order to illustrate the different representations of Paris as it is displayed as a romantic, artistic and fantastic place. The visual analysis as well as the directors' authorial signatures illustrates the different approaches in the three films. In order to point out the effects of the different representations of Paris, Foucault's concept of heterotopia, Barthes' notion of myth-making and Urry's tourist gaze are employed. The musical An American in Paris combines music, painting and dance with a dramatic love story and thus, creates a fantastic Parisland (Dalle-Vacche, 1992, p. 75). This is emphasized by the film finale in form of a fantastic ballet as well as by the references to famous French paintings which contribute to Paris' mystification. In contrast, the film Playtime displays a more futuristic and modernist image of Paris and does not add to the notion of a fantastic Parisland. As Playtime displays the mythical Paris through reflections on the modern surface of office buildings, Tati employs these in order to comment on modernity itself and to question Paris' mystification (Andrew, 2004, p. 45).This duality of Paris' representation is also illustrated in the film Le fabuleux destin d' Amélie Poulain as it displays a sanitized and picturesque Parisian landscape which either adds to the mystification of Paris or deconstructs it, or both at the same time. To sum up, the three films display the ambivalence in the representation of Paris as its image becomes mystified as well as deconstructed. Simultaneously, the changing cultural mindsets of the different time periods are exhibited as the films range from being set in the post-war period after World War II to being placed in the time period of modernity. Likewise, the films exhibit the relationship between American and French culture as well as the change from post-war euphoria to the fear of modernity. Hence, the analyses provide insights in the representation of Paris in film and the connected cultural mindsets. 2 B. Introduction Paris is considered the „cinematic city par excellence“ as it is an iconic film setting and has been crucial to the development of French cinema (Phillips and Vincendeau, 2018, pp. 1-2). Due to the frequency of Paris as a setting in cinema, the topography of Paris evokes many associations and images in its viewers. Thus, Paris has become an urban icon off-screen, attracting tourists with the aim to experience what is considered to be the most romantic city (p. 17). Furthermore, Paris is associated with the fields of fashion, glamour, intellectualism and art (p. 143, p. 169, p. 174). This emphasizes the symbolic value of Paris as a city and how it can be perceived from many perspectives, depending on its audience. Hence, it seems impossible to perceive Paris without having any of these associations prescribed as the media has constituted various images over the years. These changing perceptions also reflect the shifting mindsets in different periods (pp. 1-3). Furthermore, the French New Wave Cinema of the 1960's has produced the image of Paris being the city of unlimited opportunities which attracted many tourists as the cinema turned regular Parisian locations into attractions (pp. 2-4). Hence, by shooting films in specific locations, space is turned into a particular place by becoming attached to certain meanings (Appadurai, 1996, p. 183). Thus, media such as films can project particular images on the landscape and thereby, transform the relationship between information and mediation (p. 189). Through the high availability of media and the social practice of sharing it, these associations become common knowledge and can create a vision of a place like Paris, being attached to particular meanings like romance (p. 180, p. 191). Hence, it seems impossible to perceive Paris without having prescribed images or expectations as these have been induced by media. This master thesis aims to analyse the representation of Paris in film and especially how these images and expectations are constituted in different time periods. Thus, the three films An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli, 1951), Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967) and Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) have been chosen in order to analyse how the image of Paris is constructed in cinema. These will be analysed by making use of semiotic and visual analysis, examining all elements of picture and 3 sound in terms of contributing to the construction of different images of Paris. As the films are shot in different decades, the analysis will highlight the changing portrayal of Paris as well as the cultural mindsets during these periods. Furthermore, the construction of the narrative and the use of the Parisian landscape as a supportive background will be researched. Therefore, the

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