Gene Kelly Marathon/An American in Paris
It’s tough to find time to watch movies, tougher still to find time to write about them. I’ve enjoyed this film exercise this year though, so I have to try to press on.
I’ve been thinking for a while about were to go next with my viewings and writings. I thought I’d just randomly pick a movie, write about it, then pick another that was somehow related to it (whether directly or tangentially). A good thought, but the old paradox of choice reared its ugly head. Too many options can you leave you paralyzed.
So it was back to picking a theme. I had a couple in mind, but still couldn’t decide. However, while watching one of the special features on the “La La Land” Blu-ray (I’m a fan), Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz mentioned “An American in Paris” as one of the La La’s inspirations. It just so happened that the former film was residing on my DVR. It also happened that I remembered Gene Kelly’s beaming mug practically jumping off the screen during “The Young Girls of Rochefort.”
So, it seems, the fates had decided, and here we are with the first film in the Gene Kelly Marathon.
“Rochefort” is my only real prior exposure to Kelly. He was also in “What a Way to Go,” but I remember Shirley MacClaine and, even more so, Paul Newman more than Kelly. I was deep in the midst of my Paul Newman phase at this point, so if Kelly failed to make a lasting impression on me, it probably was through no fault of his own.
When watching “An American in Paris,” it was obvious the fault was mine. Kelly is radiant throughout the film. He oozes charisma. His warmth defies the laws of time; it travels decades into the future and paints a smile on your face. The “I’ve Got Rhythm” sequence with Kelly and the kids in the street is one of the most purely joyous sequences I’ve ever seen put to film. Kelly has wonderful screen presence, and he carries the picture, no doubt about it.
And it’s a good thing too, as the film has its share of flaws. Calling the story thin would be an understatement. The love triangle between Kelly’s Jerry Mulligan, his singing friend Henri and their mutual love interest Lise doesn’t land because we barely see things from Henri’s perspective. We see him sing a couple of times and recognize his talent, but we barely see him and Lise together. The audience would have nothing invested in their relationship. To us, Lise picking Jerry seems like the obvious choice. It’s really the only opinion we’re conditioned to have. Perhaps Henri agrees: in the final minutes of the film, as Lise returns to the party to claim Jerry, Henri barely bats an eye. In fact, he seems nearly happy to see her go.
Speaking of Lise, Leslie Caron seems like an odd casting choice for this role. Don’t take that the wrong way; my reasoning has nothing to do with her looks. Instead, the best way I could describe her on screen presence is “plastic.” It was her first movie credit, and acting opposite Kelly was probably a bit intimidating, but whatever degree of irresistability you’d expect this type of character to have, it’s not apparent in Caron’s performance.
These criticisms having been laid out, there’s more to enjoy than not in this picture. The concert scene where Adam is the soloist, orchestra, conductor and audience all at once was funny, even today. And the song and dance number with Jerry in Adam’s apartment was nearly as gleeful as the street sequence with all the kids. Kelly’s dancing here is a wonder. You get the sense in earlier dance scenes that he’s not even breaking a sweat. But here he’s pulling out the stops to great effect.
Then, of course, there’s the ending, a 17-minute declaration of Jerry’s love and heartbreak expressed entirely as a ballet. (Quick aside: you’d have to be blind to see this section’s influence on “La La Land’s” ending. The film really is a pastiche of Hollywood musical history.) Although this sequence failed to keep me totally riveted throughout its run, you have to admit that this was an incredibly ballsy idea, even for a musical. All due credit to director Vincente Minnelli for executing this bold vision.
So I don’t think this was an out-and-out classic, but Kelly and everything he brings to the table (acting, dancing, singing, choreography and just general warmth) make this a worthy viewing. If you’re looking for a classic love story, keep looking. If you’re hoping for a few well-earned smiles, you could do worse.
