An American in Paris: A Case of the Doubles
I’ve seen Vincente Minnelli’s classic multiple times, so I was
surprised to notice during one viewing that there was a lot of pairing being
done. It sounds a little weird, I know. Maybe it’s just coincidental and I’m
making too big a deal out of it, but it sparked my interest and to be honest, it lets me type up a somewhat lazy post. Anyway, read my list below and decide for
yourself.
1.
Milo buys two of Jerry’s paintings.
2.
Jerry and Lisa each lead two lives: one with
each other, and one with other people.
3.
Adam, Jerry, and Henri are introduced twice in
the beginning—the first time is a fake-out, while the second time isn’t.
4.
Jerry has two women in his life: Milo and Lisa.
5.
Lisa has two men in her life: Henri and Jerry.
6.
Two languages are dominant, French and English. Just
look at the title—American/Paris, English/French.
7.
The Art Students’ Ball has two colors, black and
white.
8.
Jerry does two ballets that bookend the
film—there’s an everyday-life one in the beginning when he’s moving around his
apartment, and there’s the big “An American in Paris” one at the end.
9.
Two for one: Jerry sees a fellow painter at Montmartre
who is a double of Winston Churchill, which causes Jerry to do a double take.
So, what’s the significance of this all? I honestly have no
clue, but I’m wondering if it was done to reinforce the idea of the story’s
main focus: the romantic coupling of Lisa and Jerry. It’s either that or Alan
Jay Lerner, the screenwriter, is messing with me. Or maybe it’s both.
Regardless, I’m glad to see that even though I can watch a film hundreds of
times, I can still find something new about it.
With love,
Michaela
Wonderful photos and it takes me back to my youth. Thank you for sharing ....Australia
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you for reading!
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