Harris, Writing Analysis of Midnight in Paris (2011)

"Is it Camille or Rose?"
Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams)

In Woody Allen's new romantic comedy, Midnight in Paris (2011) tells the story about a young screen writer named Gill Pender (Owen Wilson) who visits Paris with his fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams). Upon Gil's visit to Paris, he is constantly bombarded with groups of people. However, when Gil is isolated, Gil finds a different side of Paris, which is filled with pure M-A-G-I-C. When Gil tries to walk back to the hotel and the bell tower struck midnight, he stumbles upon his fantasy: "The Roaring Twenties." When Gil is in his fantasy, he encounters famous writers, such as Hemingway, Stein, and Fitzgerald, painters, such as Picasso, Matisse, and Dali, and even Surrealist film maker Bunuel. In short, this film is dedicated as a homage to some of Woody Allen's personal idols. This year, the eighty-fourth Academy Awards nominated this film for Best Picture, Art Direction, Best Director (Allen), and Best Original Screenplay.

In this film, director and screen writer Woody Allen wrote this film in a point of view technique. In point of view, the screen writer is able to tell the story through the eyes of one of the characters. Hence, there are three different types of point of view: the first person, the omniscient, the third person, and the objective. For Midnight in Paris (2011), Allen wrote this script in a third person point of view, or narration. When a director writes a story in third person narration, Allen was able to channel the thoughts and emotions of a single character- Gil Pender. Therefore, it is only Gil's thoughts and emotions that the audience is able to observe because the audience is focused primarily on his fantasy and not the others.

Throughout the film, the audience learns that Gil is an aspiring novelist, but never allows other people to see his work. In the photograph above, the audience observes how Gil is trying to stay independent and not give into the demands of his fiancee, Inez. By the time the audience views this scene, they notice how Gil does not fit in with Inez's friends Paul (Michael Sheen) and Carol (Nina Arianda). In the photograph, the audience could notice that the spatial difference between Gil and Inez is personal and no longer intimate. This proxemic is symbolic because Gil and Inez are starting to realize that they are two different people who enjoy different things. Inez loves America and wants to be near her rich parents, John (Kurt Fuller) and Helen (Mimi Kennedy), whereas Gil wants to live the life of a struggling writer in Paris.

"Love at Maxim's"
Gil Pender and Adriana (Marion Cotillard)

In the second half of this film, Gil begins to find himself and shows Gertude Stein (Kathy Bates) his novel. When Gil opens himself to others, he is able to find a world that encourages his ideals and another look of love. In his fantasy, Gil falls in love with the mistress of Pablo Picasso, Adriana (Marion Cotillard). The audience sympathizes with Gil's new love because the audience can see how Gil belongs in this mix of people and not in two thousand and eleven. In the photograph (to your left), the audience can see an intimate character proxemic, which demonstrates Gil's and Adriana's growing romance. Besides the character proxemic, the audience can see that Gil and Adriana are the dominant in the frame, while everyone is out of focus (subsidiary contrast). However, all good things has to come to an end. Similar to how Gil stumbled upon his fantasy of "The Roaring Twenties," Adriana brings Gil into her own, which is filled with the "old Paris"- Can Can girls, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Degas. Once the dance is over, Gil realizes that perhaps living in the past is different for everyone and he is falling in love with a fantasy. Sadly, Gil and Adriana part their way at Maxim's, but upon returning to present day Paris, Gil breaks off his engagement to Inez and begins his new life by walking in the rain with Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) by his side. At the end of the film, the audience can make the assertion that when Gil embraced his literary criticism from his idols, he was able to find the strength to re-write his life.