Oh Paris. What memories this movie brought back. Woody Allen truly made a film that I believe, as someone who has lived in Paris, is truly a love letter to the city. The cinematography, the script, the mis-en-scene, everything in this movie just spot on and seeing the characters wonder through the cobbled streets I almost felt as though I were back in Paris. The film’s protagonist, Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is a conflicted writer who dreams of Paris back in the ‘20s, when some of literature and art’s heavy hitters saw Paris as a haven. Gil defines himself (as most writers do) by how successful his current novel is proving to be, which from the sounds of it, isn’t wonderful. Gil subtlety reveals this when he is walking with Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her mother (Mimi Kennedy) when Helen mentions a movie she saw the previous night. She cannot recall the name of the film and Gil deems it “loveable but forgettable” and says he has written it before. This negativity, which Gertrude Stein later scolds him for, is a symptom of rejection for Gil. He feels rejected as a serious novelist and this leaves him in a constant state of doubt. Another time Gil reveals that he defines himself by his writing is when he first meets all of the famous novelists and reveals to them that he is struggling as a writer. You can see how by how eager he is to talk to them about his writing that it is extremely important to him. He also tells them he refuses to let anyone read his work, thus revealing how self-conscious he is about his writing and ultimately its reflection on him as a novelist and a man.
I like your commentary on the film. You spell out all of the insecurities that Gil is faced with as he tries to find himself as a serious novelist. He does not want to be known as the writer that is "lovable but forgettable" as the movie his further mother in law talks of the film they saw. He wants to be remembered for his talents and his writings as he admires those writers of the past he "bumps" into during his midnight strolls in Paris. I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading you blog. I believe that we commented on the same two scenes. These scenes are very important as they show what Gil is going through. Another good part of the film is when Gil discusses how he doesn't want to write for the big time films because despite the fact that they are big pay, they do not challenge him whatsoever as a writer. By the end of the film, Gil is going through a happy point and he then feels secure enough about his writing to continue his novel.
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