An American in Paris (1951) Review

Title: An American in Paris
Year: 1951
Director: Vincente Minelli 
Country: US
Language: English

My goal to watch every Best Picture Winner, from 1928-2023, concludes with An American in Paris (1951). I love musicals, I love Gene Kelly (see: Young Girls of Rocheforte) so I planned to end this series on a bang rather than a whimper. I was certainly excited to watch this song-and-dance film. 

Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) , a struggling American painter in Paris, is "discovered" by an influential heiress with an interest in more than Jerry's art. Jerry in turn falls for Lise (Leslie Caron), a young French girl already engaged to a cabaret singer.

The film's cinematography, by Alfred Gilks, captures the enchanting beauty of this fairytale-like film. The technicolor, which was used sparingly in the early 50's, marvels us with its impressive soiree of vibrant, appealing colors. The exquisite set design perfectly blends fantasy and reality, giving us a truly artistic masterwork. 

The combination of Gershwin's music and screenwriter Allan Lerner's lyrics prove to be a success in American in Paris. Vincente Minnelli's directing is in top form, as is Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron's choreography. The film's climax is a 17 minute ballet sequence; a huge production! An lesser team would have stumbled, but everyone working on this film managed to be on top of their game. 

Is it my favourite musical to win "Best Picture"? No. I do love West Side Story (1961) and Oliver! (1968) more. I do love An American in Paris' story, but I won't find myself mindlessly humming the tunes from this film. A five star musical needs songs that you have trouble getting out of your head.