The 1950s marked a decade that showed cinema transitioning from black-and-white to technicolor—an excellent era for people to change their television sets to adapt to the growing stage technologically.
Following All About Eve's win is An American In Paris, the first technicolor winner since Gone With The Wind. This movie boasts excellent set designs, incredible shots, and colorful sceneries.
Plot Overview
An American in Paris is a musical comedy film about a World War II veteran, Peter Mulligan, who travels to Paris to succeed as an artist. He lives in a little apartment and is joined by his neighbor friends, Adam and Henri.
Jerry tries to make a fortune by selling his painting on the street. His artwork was noticed by a lonely heiress named Milo Roberts. She buys a couple of pictures and invites him to a dinner party. Jerry sees that he is Milo's exclusive escort at the event and gets angry at her. She explains that she wants to help him pursue his career.
Milo offers to sponsor Jerry to display his artwork in an art show. He is initially uninterested and gets distracted when he sees a beautiful lady and asks her to dance. He is unaware that the girl is Lise, Henri's love interest. Soon, Jerry and Lise become close to each other as their relationship gets entangled with Milo's feelings and Henri's.
Review
This movie gathers the talents of Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, who are both fantastic in this film.
An American In Paris brings a light-hearted story so simple that you don't initially think it deserves to win the Best Picture award. This film is proud of its magnificent choreography, especially during the last sequence. It shows the talent of the two lead actors in their portrayal of their characters.
However, while I think An American In Paris is an easy popcorn-type movie, it lacks the depth that other films thrive in. I would still vote for something that would please me or make me enjoy the movie. I still respect it because it shows what color does for films.
A good 2.5 out of 5 stars.