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Albert Préjean, Pola Illéry, Gaston Modot, Edmond T. Gréville, Paul Olivier ... see more see more... , Bill Bocket , Raymond Aimos , Thomy Bourdelle , Jane Pierson

Rene Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris is one of the first French films shot in sound. The film is a relaxed melodrama where a Parisian street singer (Albert Prejean) and his friend (Edmond Greville) p... read more read more...ursue the love of the same woman (Pola Illery). Clair chose to use sound only when needed, preferring to tell the story through his visuals as well as through his dialogue. The result is a striking film, boasting beautiful photography and sets, as well as a moving story. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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76% liked it

659 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

12 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: René Clair

Release Date: January 2, 1930

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DVD Release Date: September 24, 2002

Stats: 39 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (39)

  • fb1142797643
    March 29, 2012
    fb1142797643
    Director Rene Clair peaked with "Le Million" and "A Nous la Liberte" in 1931, but the previous year's "Under the Roofs of Paris" was a solid step toward those twin glories.

    Unfortunately, the plot of "Paris" is trivial -- just a dull neighborhood tale of a street singer, his bes... read moret friend and a crook competing for the same pretty girl. But the music is what's most hard to swallow. Anyone not sentimental for wheezing Parisian accordion will cringe through these moldy tunes. And the singer's money scheme -- leading curbside sing-alongs in the hopes of peddling sheet music -- is also horribly archaic.

    Really, "Under the Roofs of Paris" is only notable as filmmaking. It's obviously an early talkie and, in every scene, Clair aggressively wrestles with the new technology. The line between experimentation and mere frugality isn't so clear -- many scenes take convenient shortcuts, like when inaudible dialogue in a bar seems drowned out by nearby music. Except the music has been added to silent footage in post-production, only simulating a "live," diegetic soundtrack. Such quirks are common throughout the film. Clair was ambivalent about the arrival of sound, and he steadily tweaks the medium here. Other twists include a morning alarm that is turned off by touching a shoe, a scratched "William Tell Overture" record used as score and an important fight scene that is silent except for irrelevant train noises.

    The momentum tends to shut down when a rare conversation occurs. And the acoustics aren't right, due to primitive miking and shooting "outdoor" scenes inside a studio. "Under the Roofs of Paris" is one of those films that's revered more because it was ahead of the curve than because it was actually so great.

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Critic Reviews

John A. Nesbit
December 9, 2009
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews

initial revelation of Paris 'with its warts' Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
January 10, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Compared to his contemporaries Jean Renoir and Jean Vigo, Clair was a minor talent, though both of these films do contain innovative uses of sound mixed with silent film. Full Review

Mark Bourne
April 5, 2006
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com

Like a good wine, there's a bouquet preserved here, a joyously French 'April in Paris with Chevalier and a beret' spirit accented by antiquarian Parisian scenes from c. 1929, never mind that they were... Full Review

Michael E. Grost
August 13, 2005
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

Pioneering French musical, with a brilliant opening about street singers. Full Review

Michael Dequina
January 1, 2004
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

A funny and sweet romantic tug-of-war. Full Review

Mark Robison
January 15, 2003
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal

Clair seriously hurt the movie when he re-edited it 20 years later by deleting the opening scene.

James Kendrick
October 13, 2002
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

strikes an amazing balance between the gritty and the transcendental

Christopher Null
September 7, 2002
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

There's little to be gleaned from a plot that had already become tired 70 years ago. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Mordaunt Hall
January 28, 2006
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

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