Though of course broken up by intertitles, it's worth observing right away that the storytelling is more fluid than it was in no few other silent films. The acting, direction, and pacing come across as mostly very natural, a step away from the stilted and less authentic sensibilities derived from stage drama and vaudeville and toward the style modern viewers are familiar with. Still the picture maintains a steady clip, advancing the plot swiftly, but never at such a pace as to feel rushed or forced. What follows is a tale blending two discrete elements of crime and romance into a form that seems to have fallen out of fashion in cinema of the latter half of the twentieth century, with dashes of both comedy and drama peppering the proceedings for variety of flavor. 'Parisian love' may not be utterly essential among such older movies, but it's solid, and remains quite worthwhile on its own merits.
As one would well expect of the silent era, when visuals were extra important, the presentation here looks fantastic. The production design and art direction are outstanding, flush with detail, as is the costume design. The hair and makeup work is terrific, and very noticeably and gratifyingly more rich and varied than has been true elsewhere in early cinema; characters are readily distinguishable just by their appearance (a credit as well to preservationists, for there's scarcely any sign of degradation or loss of fidelity in the digitized print). And the cast is most excellent, demonstrating range and personality, but also welcome nuance exceeding what was common among most of its contemporaries. Naturally silent superstar Clara Bow stands out the most in the lead role, showing why she was so beloved and sought after, but her co-stars are just as well with what they bring to the feature, breathing vivid life into their characters.
Save perhaps for the gracefulness of its fundamental craft, there's not necessarily anything about 'Parisian love' that stands out so much as to make this a must-see. It's well made and acted, but maybe doesn't have any major spark of vitality to it. Yet the story is engaging and enjoyable, despite occasionally coming off as uneven, and the scene writing actively entertaining to keep us keenly interested. Louis J. Gasnier's direction is sturdy and capable, as is the work of everyone behind the scenes. This is the sort of classic that doesn't abjectly demand viewership, but is still deserving and appreciable for what it does represent. It's those who are already enamored of silent pictures that will get the most out of this - but, perhaps, it's sufficiently well done to possibly serve as a point of entry for those who are curious about older movies, or trying to get their feet wet. Not specifically flawed, not specifically stupendous, 'Parisian love' is still worth checking out if you have the inclination and opportunity.
As one would well expect of the silent era, when visuals were extra important, the presentation here looks fantastic. The production design and art direction are outstanding, flush with detail, as is the costume design. The hair and makeup work is terrific, and very noticeably and gratifyingly more rich and varied than has been true elsewhere in early cinema; characters are readily distinguishable just by their appearance (a credit as well to preservationists, for there's scarcely any sign of degradation or loss of fidelity in the digitized print). And the cast is most excellent, demonstrating range and personality, but also welcome nuance exceeding what was common among most of its contemporaries. Naturally silent superstar Clara Bow stands out the most in the lead role, showing why she was so beloved and sought after, but her co-stars are just as well with what they bring to the feature, breathing vivid life into their characters.
Save perhaps for the gracefulness of its fundamental craft, there's not necessarily anything about 'Parisian love' that stands out so much as to make this a must-see. It's well made and acted, but maybe doesn't have any major spark of vitality to it. Yet the story is engaging and enjoyable, despite occasionally coming off as uneven, and the scene writing actively entertaining to keep us keenly interested. Louis J. Gasnier's direction is sturdy and capable, as is the work of everyone behind the scenes. This is the sort of classic that doesn't abjectly demand viewership, but is still deserving and appreciable for what it does represent. It's those who are already enamored of silent pictures that will get the most out of this - but, perhaps, it's sufficiently well done to possibly serve as a point of entry for those who are curious about older movies, or trying to get their feet wet. Not specifically flawed, not specifically stupendous, 'Parisian love' is still worth checking out if you have the inclination and opportunity.