An American in Paris (Gene Kelly)

(Amazon UK link)

From twenty-five DVDs given to us by a friend who is downsizing, we decided to watch ‘An American in Paris’. It’s well-enough known that we had both heard of it, yet neither of us had ever seen it. We’re not huge fans of musicals in general, and had no idea what to expect.

The film, made in 1951 but in colour, stars Gene Kelly as Jerry Mulligan, an American artist who decided to settle in France after the war. He’s an artist, and feels that he’s learned a lot and is inspired by the beauty of Paris - but he’s not very successful, and struggles to manage. He lives in a tiny apartment, and there’s an amusing and cleverly choreographed scene where he wakes up and transforms his room from a bedroom into a studio. 

Jerry has a friend called Adam (Oscar Levant) who is a talented musician. We see him playing the piano several times in the course of the film; but he’s also struggling, wanting to be a concert pianist but having to make do with smaller events. 

Adam has a French friend called Henri (Georges Guétary) who is in love with a dancer called Lise (Leslie Caron). They have a mildly humorous discussion as Henri tries to explain what his girlfriend is like, and we see images of her dancing in a variety of roles.

The fifth main character is a wealthy woman called Milo (Nina Foch) who buys a couple of Jerry’s paintings, and decides she wants to sponsor him. He’s rather reluctant, but eventually agrees.  And at a restaurant where they’re meeting friends, Jerry sees and is instantly attracted to a young woman… who we quickly realise is Lise. He’s very persistent (in a way that would be considered harassment nowadays) but they become close… 

So there’s something of a comedy of errors, although it’s poignant too; Lise is young and doesn’t know what to do, being courted by two rather different men. The outcome is inevitable, perhaps, but it’s not at all clear how it can come about. And it was a bit irritating that, in fact, we don’t learn exactly how it comes about.  I found the ending of the film rather frustrating, partly for that reason.

The acting is good, if a bit overdone (as tended to happen in films of this era) and there are some interludes with songs and dancing in the first half of the film. Gene Kelly, of course, was known for his tap dancing routines, and they blend in well with the general atmosphere of the film; none of the earlier musical items are too long, and they don’t seem out of place. There’s an amusing musical interlude too, when Adam dreams of being a concert pianist, and we only gradually realise that he’s playing not just the pianist, but the conductor, and all the other instrumentalists too. 

But I found the last twenty minutes of the film puzzling and (frankly) a bit dull. There’s a long dance sequence mainly featuring Jerry, but also Lise with different styles, different locations, and different chorus members. It’s supposed to be Jerry dreaming as Lise drives away with Henri, but although the dancing is crisp and very well done, and it’s all clever, I was involved in the story by this stage, wanting to know what was going to happen. A few minutes of this routine would have been fine - but it went on and on. According to Wikipedia, it’s seventeen minutes! 

Then after the dance routine, there’s only a brief scene before ‘The End’ and the closing credits. One part of the plot is brought to a close (though without any clear indication why it happens the way it does) but other parts are left hanging. We have no idea what happens in Jerry’s proposed exhibition, or how his professional relationship with Milo continues. Nor do we learn whether Adam’s dream comes true. 

I’m glad we watched the film; the dancing is good (even if too lengthy at the end) and the songs nicely done, though Gershwin isn’t my favourite composer or style. The humour is slickly done, and I loved the expressions on Adam’s face as he realises that both his friends are in love with the same girl. But I’m not sure why it was quite as popular as it was, and don’t suppose I’ll want to see it again. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's DVD Reviews