Review of An American in Paris (1951) by Elliott F — 20 Jun 2010
An American in Paris is a musical that rivals Singin' in the Rain.
What I loved about An American in Paris is primarily four things. First of all, the songs were a lot of fun. This includes the very famous Gershwin song "I've Got Rhythm," as well as other songs I'd never heard of before. And the dancing to these songs was as good as any Gene Kelly dancing I had ever seen before.
But visually, An American in Paris is a work of art. The art director and set designer used the visual splendor of Paris to full advantage, making the use of color and art in this film look unlike anything I had really seen before, except for Singin' in the Rain. I think the greatest strength of the film is the visuals mixed with the music. They seem to go hand in hand, and it does give the appearance and energy of an Oscar-winning picture.
The third part of this film is the love story, which is completely captivating and wholly engrossing. Really it's nothing wholly unpredictable, but it does do a very decent job of keeping the audience guessing right up to the very end of the picture. Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron are two very charming actors, and it was easy to root for their characters. And they have a very marvelous and forward screen presence that made them entirely believable. Gene Kelly was an artist who had not had a whole lot of luck, but fell in love with Caron's character the moment he saw her.
And Paris! Paris never looked lovelier, not since Casablanca. The scenery of Paris throughout the film is what kept me as entranced as anything else in the picture. I'm not sure that the film would have looked nearly as good if it had been set in any other city in the world, but this is the type of film that makes me want to visit France very badly, a little like Roman Holiday made me want to visit Rome.
An American in Paris is one of the greatest musicals I have ever seen, and I think audiences are going to keep coming back to this film for its romance, visuals, and music.
10/10.
This review of An American in Paris (1951) was written by Elliott F on 20 Jun 2010.
An American in Paris has generally received positive reviews.
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