Children of Paradise

Children of Paradise (French: Les Enfants du Paradis) is a 1945 film set among the Parisian theatre scene of the 1820s and 30s that tells the story of a beautiful courtesan, Garance, and the four men who love her in their own ways: a mime artist, an actor, a criminal and an aristocrat. The film was voted "Best Film Ever" in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in 1995.

Directed by Marcel Carné. Written by Jacques Prévert.

• Not only are you rich, but you want to be loved as if you are poor.

• You were right, Garance. Love is simple.

• Jealousy belongs to all if a woman belongs to no one.

• I'm dying of silence, like others die of hunger and thirst.

• I don't love you, but you are the only women for whom I have no contempt.

• The mere thought of them killing each other, over a woman, because of me, comforts me.

• His Lawyer says, "Above all, don't talk." The Priest: "Confession is half-remission." He confesses. The Judge: "You Killed and confessed. Perfect. Off with your head." The fellow, disappointed protests: "But confession is half-remission!" The Judge: "True but justice must be done. So we'll just cut off half your head."

• A kick in the ass, if well delivered, is a sure laugh. It's true. There's an entire order, a science, a style of kicks in the ass.

• Novelty is as old as the hills.

• Director: Act! Act! You have the wrong place. We are not allowed to act here. We walk on our hands! And you know why? They bully us. If we put on plays, they'd have to close their great, noble theaters! Their public is bored to death by museum pieces, dusty tragedies and declaiming mummies who never move! But the Funambules is full of life, movement! Extravaganzas! Appearances, disappearances, like in real life! And then-boom-the kick in the pants!

• Man in the audience: Shut up! We can't hear the pantomime!

Comte Édouard de Montray: You're much too lovely to be truly loved.

Garance: Truth, but only from the neck up, it frustrated them.

• Arletty - Claire "Garance" Reine
• Jean-Louis Barrault - Baptiste Deburau
• Pierre Brasseur - Frédérick Lemaître
• Marcel Herrand - Pierre-François Lacenaire
• Pierre Renoir - Jéricho
• María Casares - Nathalie
• Louis Salou - Comte Édouard de Montray
• Gaston Modot - Fil de Soie
• Fabien Loris - Avril
• Marcel Pérès - Director of the Funambules
• Pierre Palau - Stage manager of the Funambules
• Etienne Decroux - Anselme Debureau
• Jane Marken - Mme. Hermine
• Marcelle Monthil - Marie
• Louis Florencie - Policeman
• Raymond Rognoni - Director, 'Grand Theatre'
• Jacques Castelot - George
• Paul Frankeur - Police Inspector
• Albert Rémy - Scarpia Barrigni
• Robert Dhéry - Celestin

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Children of Paradise

• Children of Paradise quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Children of Paradise at Rotten Tomatoes