''Children of Paradise'', 1945 - art by Georges Allard

A vintage French movie poster of Children of Paradise (French: Les Enfants du Paradis) is a classic French film directed by Marcel Carné and... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''Children of Paradise'', 1945 - art by Georges Allard

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster

Description

A vintage French movie poster of "Children of Paradise" (French: "Les Enfants du Paradis") is a classic French film directed by Marcel Carné and released in 1945. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in French cinema and a masterpiece of world cinema. The film is notable for its epic scope, intricate storytelling, and memorable characters.

Set in the early 19th century in the theatrical world of Paris, "Children of Paradise" tells a complex and romantic tale of love, passion, and fate. The story revolves around a beautiful and enigmatic courtesan named Garance, played by Arletty, and her relationships with four very different men who are captivated by her:

Frédérick Lemaître (Pierre Brasseur): He is a talented and charismatic actor who falls deeply in love with Garance. His passionate pursuit of her becomes a central theme of the story.

Baptiste Debureau (Jean-Louis Barrault): Baptiste is a mime artist who also becomes infatuated with Garance. His silent expressions of love and longing provide a poignant counterpoint to the vocal intensity of the other characters.

Pierre-François Lacenaire (Marcel Herrand): A sinister and mysterious figure, Lacenaire is a criminal and a poet who is drawn to Garance in his own twisted way.

Édouard (Louis Salou): Édouard is a wealthy aristocrat who offers Garance security and luxury but struggles to win her heart.

The film explores the themes of love, jealousy, ambition, and the masks people wear in society. It takes place against the backdrop of the theater world, with scenes involving performances, backstage drama, and the colorful characters who populate this vibrant milieu.

"Children of Paradise" is known for its lush cinematography by Roger Hubert, which captures the atmosphere of 19th-century Paris in exquisite detail. The film's production was notably challenging, as it was made during World War II, and its creators faced numerous difficulties, including a shortage of film stock and other resources.

Despite these challenges, "Children of Paradise" is celebrated for its remarkable storytelling, rich character development, and its exploration of the complexities of human emotions. It remains a classic of French cinema and a significant influence on filmmakers worldwide. The film's runtime is relatively long, but its epic storytelling and artistic quality have cemented its status as a timeless masterpiece.

About the poster artist:

Gilbert ("Georges") Allard (Oct. 15, 1916, Rouvray-Saint-Croix, France—Dec. 7, 2002, Saint-Evertin, France) was a leading French postwar and contemporary poster artist, active from the end of the 1940s through the 1960s.

He painted and signed more than eighty posters for films distributed in France. The French advertising agency Jacques Fourastié produced the majority of his posters.

He often differed from other French poster artists who used graphic elements since he preferred traditional painting techniques. As a result, he used fine brushwork to paint intricate, unexaggerated facial details while adding more dynamic features to the background images, which blended expertly with the key image. In combination, his poster art produced images of the film's essential theme.

An example of those style qualities can be seen in his poster for "Contempt" (aka "Le Mepris," (1963) with Brigitte Bardot, along with other posters, as in "Red River" (1948), "Baby Doll" (1956), and "Doctor Zhivago" (1965).

Search for "Allard" to see some of his other art.

Uploaded

February 9th, 2022