Paris Blues

this movie has been mischaracterized as a fluffy love story, it is not. this film examines racial equality and the differences between France and the us in accepting people of color as more than "help" or as something to fear. this film also touches on the popularity of jazz music, and showcases authentic early jazz as well as painting a picture of the hip jazz subculture, including smoky clubs, late nights and loose women. the film also shows the journey of young musicians trying to find their style and find a place for themselves as jazz composers- not just as musicians. finally, this movie does reflect aspects of a love story- but in examining the film on a deeper level one finds that there really is no love, rather it is a commentary on disconnected, self-indulgent lust. finally - Louis Armstrong appeared and played in the movie- Does it get any better?

When the story begins, Ram (Paul Newman) and Eddie (Sidney Poitier) are American musicians who have been living in Paris for some time. They love jazz and spend their evenings performing in various clubs. However, their bohemian lifestyle is about to be challenged in the form of two ladies who are traveling together (Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll). When love is in the air, there are problems--can such a lifestyle work with wives AND would these men be willing to return home to the States if need be?

This is a film I really enjoyed for a couple reasons. First, the acting was terrific and the characterizations were very nice. Second, the story is unusual. However, some of it being unusual is because the movie leaves the viewer wondering what will happen next...will they have a happy ending or not? Well, the film doesn't make this clear...which didn't bother me. Worth seeing.

If you're looking for a film on the level of Godard's "Breathless" , which was made in the same year (1961), forget it. Belmondo and Seberg coolly ride the crest of the New Wave in some other Paris. But there's never a good reason not to see Louis Armstrong, who is wonderful, so if nothing, see it for him. And where else are you going to get Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier hanging out in a jazz cave with hipsters looking like they just flew in from planet square, but in the process looking a lot cooler than the people trying to look cool.

The love scenes are as melodramatic and corny as they can be, bordering on camp, with a lot of hand wringing and flinging about and running, but c'mon! Newman and Woodward and Poitier and gorgeous Diahann Carroll? Rent this with Diva or Charade or both and it can be a Paris street scene night., although Diva and Charade are far superior. You can definitely do a lot worse.

The American in Paris theme has been done very often in American cinema. The tradition is huge splashy technicolor with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Audrey Hepburn cavorting around the well known streets and landmarks. Those are nice films, but that ain't what you get here.

No Louvre, no Arc de Triomphe, no Eiffel Tower, a brief shot of Notre Dame from a distance; that's about it from the well known Paris. The Paris we see here in this black and white film is of the jazz clubs of the Left Bank where two expatriate musicians, Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier, eke out a living doing what they love.

Newman has ambitions though, he'd like to be a serious composer not a trombonist all his life. Poitier has come to Paris for reasons of the race problems in the USA.

Into their lives two American tourists come, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll. A couple of dual romances commence.

Carroll and Poitier have a spirited debate over civil rights. The movement is getting into high gear in America and Carroll wants him to return and be part of it. No thanks, says Poitier, he just wants to do his jazz thing where his skin color isn't anyone's problem least of all his own.

Interestingly Carroll was doing a kind of warm up for another part of a black woman in Paris on Broadway the following year in Richard Rodgers, No Strings. In that play she falls for an expatriate writer played by Richard Kiley. An interracial romance, one of the first shown on the Broadway stage, still a lot of the same issues were in that show.

Paris Blues is a different slice of Parisian life for an American film to explore. All four leads do just fine, though the film probably doesn't rank in the top work of any of them.

Lots of jazz music for the aficionado. And of course the presence of the incomparable Louis Armstrong. The highlight of the film is the jam session with those two ersatz musicians Newman and Poitier.

The way Satchmo is received by the public only proves the truth of that line he sang in High Society about the way the French love American jazz.

Paris Blues (1961)

*** (out of 4)

American Jazz musicians Ram (Paul Newman) and Eddie (Sidney Poitier) are living in Paris where they spend all night practicing their music. Americans Lillian (Joanne Woodward) and Connie (Diahann Carroll) find themselves in Paris on vacation and soon they meet the musicians and sparks fly. The two week vacation soon has Lillian having major feelings for Ram but he knows if he decides to go with her it would mean going away from his love of music.

Paris BLUES comes from director Martin Ritt who made a number of films with Newman but this one here has to be the most underrated. I really don't understand why this film isn't better known because it features a terrific cast and has some outstanding music as well as being a lot more sexual and mature than a lot of films made during this period.

The main reason to watch this are for the performances and especially the chemistry of Newman and Woodward. The couple was already married by the time they made this and that chemistry between them just jumps right off the screen and especially the sexual tension between the two. Newman is very good in his rather grumpy role and he nails that part perfectly but he also nails the romantic side. Poitier is basically playing second fiddle here but it's still a lot of fun seeing him and Newman work together. Carroll is excellent in her supporting role and it was a lot of fun seeing Louis Armstrong.

The Jazz music score is perfect and I thought the film did a terrific job at playing up the Paris nightlife and the life of two musicians who are up all night. I thought the four stars had an excellent chemistry together and it makes for their journey to be quite entertaining. It also doesn't hurt that the film also deals with race relations without beating the viewing over the head. Paris BLUES really deserves to be seen by more people as it's certainly a nice little gem.