The World of Mime Theatre * Info & Resources * Film & Video

LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS (Children of Paradise)
Directed by Marcel Carné
S.N. Pathé Cinema, 1946
DVD [Region 1 (US and Canada only) & Region 2 (Europe, Middle East & Japan only)]
VHS NTSC (Home Vision Cinema; French with English subtitles)
VHS PAL (French with English subtitles, or dubbed in German)
VHS SECAM
B&W, 195 min.
Ordering: DVD Region 1 / DVD Region 2 / Video NTSC / Video PAL / Video SECAM
A feature film, one of the all-time greatest of the French cinema, starring Jean-Louis Barrault, Arletty, and Pierre Brasseur. A better translation of the title would be "Children of the gods," referring to the common folk who sat in the furthest, least expensive balcony seats in the popular theatres of 1840's Paris. A romantic epic, the fictional story includes some characters based on actual people, such as Jean-Gaspard Deburau (played by Barrault), the most famous French mime of the 19th century, who greatly evolved the character Pierrot. The cast also features "the father of modern mime," Etienne Decroux, as Deburau's father. Filmed during the German occupation, this French milestone centers around the theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan and the four men who love her. Voted the "Best French Film in History" by the French Film Academy in 1990. Academy Award Nomination: Best Original Screenplay (Jacques Prévert).

Video Clips from Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise)

Video Clips from
Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise)