Original Title: Les Passagers de la nuit
English Title: The Passengers of the Night
I was drawn to this film by a trailer I saw while watching some other French movie, so I went to the theater to see it.
The other day, I watched it again, making sure to time it so that it would end around 4 a.m. Unfortunately, since a considerable amount of time had passed since the summer solstice, it was still dark in my area of Japan. But when I opened the window, fresh air flowed into the room, blending with the mysterious sensation evoked by Anton Sanko's soundtrack that had been playing in my mind, making the ion-rich room merge with the world of the film.
It's a film that feels distinctly French.
However, this film also features strong impressions from the well-established Emmanuel Béart and the young Noée Abita (who plays Talulah) with their clear and striking presence. Moreover, the story didn't seem to end abruptly, leaving one wondering, "Huh? Is it over here?" (I've never thought that, as I've always accepted the director's chosen "ending" as the true end.) Because of this, I believe this film is more accessible even to those who might generally find this characteristic of French films off-putting.
Even without trying what I did, after watching this film, you will likely feel as if you are walking on a pristine, untouched snowy path in winter, or experiencing the small sense of accomplishment on an early summer morning.
One disappointing aspect is the Japanese title. I've said this countless times already, but unless it's particularly challenging, why not just use a direct translation of the original title? "The Passengers of the Night"... that sounds quite nice, doesn't it? I understand the desire to include "Paris" for box office reasons. However, isn't that approach outdated by now? If this trend continues, one could only think that they're underestimating the audience. With so many people trying to save money these days, the price of movie tickets in Japan is really high. It's often the case that people can only afford to watch a movie on discount days. So viewers come to theaters after thoroughly examining not just the posters and titles but also the content, and they come with high expectations.
By the way, you can find all the tracks from the wonderfully soothing Anton Sanko soundtrack on YouTube.
Japanese title is "The Night Breaks in Paris at 4 a.m."
