Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen, 2011) is a homage and nostalgia, in some ways, a biographical film of its director. Gil is vacationing in the city of light with his fiancée (Inez) whilst writing a novel. He is almost a lost member from the golden twenties. Throughout the film, his values collide with his fiancée and her family’s. One could argue it mirrors the 1920s conflict between the Lost Generation and the American dreamers. In the film the question arises, will the magic of Paris, the epitome of romance, save their relationship?
Nowadays, the “Lost Generation” is used for defining the post-World War I generation during the années folles, also known as Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. The era where the youth lived in a carefree, wild, and lively way. The term was coined by the American novelist Gertrude Stein (1874-1946):
“All of you, young people, who served in the war. You are a lost generation… You have no respect for anything. You drink yourselves to death.”
During Gil’s time travels, there are many references to popular culture icons from the 1920s. They are fascinatingly represented, highlighting to the audience the relationship between the creator and creation. F. Scott Fitzgerald is portrayed similarly to his well-known central character Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald even used the same catchphrase “old sport” and drove the iconic yellow car Jay drove. Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel, popular names in Surrealism not forgetting their notable pieces such as La persistència de la memòria, Lagrima, and El ángel exterminador. It was the background of Hemingway’s well-known posthumous memoirs A Moveable Feast (1964) and On Paris (2008), in some ways, the film could be based on them. There are other reputed names of the era, such as Josephine Baker, Pablo Picasso, T. S. Eliot, Djuna Barnes, Matisse, Man Ray, and Gertrude Stein. Additionally, the poster from the film indicating the famous painting from Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) “The Starry Night” blended with Gil in a famous Parisian bridge. Van Gogh’s painting depicts the notion of modernism. This could represent Gil’s duality between the real world versus fantasy, and might represents him and Inez conflicts of dreamer versus down-to-earth respectively.
On the other hand, Belle Époque (1871-1914) was the era of peace, optimism, and plenty between wars of the late 19th Century. After the horrors of the Napoleonic and Franc0-Prussian wars. It was a time of high artistic and cultural development, economic prosperity, and technological and scientific progress. Midnight in Paris portrays the era briefly, with some important painters of the time, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and Edgar Degas. Besides the popular painters’ references, during the late 19th Century quick voyage, there are cabaret aesthetics, big gowns and huge hats decorated with feathers, contrasting with art-décor and flapper showed previously. It is portraying a landscape, which is also the name of another well-known visual masterpiece called Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001). The colour and lighting contrast between the films is noticeable, especially as depicted in Paris. In Moulin Rouge, Paris is portrayed as dark, dull, and cold while inside the cabaret was vibrant, which could perhaps indicate the culture in Paris. Moulin Rouge does references to influential and reputed names of the artistic vein from the city, like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Le Pétomane, and Georges Méliès. Besides that, inside Moulin Rouge, the dominant colour is red, which can imply romance, which is another popular association of the city.
It does not matter what era it is, Paris is always the muse both in rain and in sunshine. The audience follows the journey throughout the eras, from the Belle Époque (1871-1914) and Lost Generation to the most contemporary times. The city is portrayed like a beacon, a model that needs to be followed, always in front of others. This is clear during many historic-cultural moments. For example, the Age of Enlightenment (in the 18th century) which inspired the French Revolution, the 1960s Feminism movement, and the first commercial movie screened on December 27, 1895.
Therefore, when the French barrier is closed due to the pandemic, we should be able to travel there at least by the comfort of our homes watching Midnight in Paris and Moulin Rouge! After all, it’s like Hemingway used to say:
“There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris.”
Where to find the films mentioned:
Amazon Prime
Disney+
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