1001 Movies - An American in Paris

In 2009, Hugh Jackman proclaimed 'The musical is back!' as he performed with the stars of hit musicals High School Musical 3 and Mumma Mia! at the 81st Academy Awards. It's hard to argue with him; since then The Greatest Showman, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins Returns, and even the modern retelling of the classic Les Miserables have all hit the top ten highest grossing musicals, have become cultural hits and have led to more musical magic being slated in the coming years. But none of those films performed as well critically. Despite great songs, they lacked something: a pulse. Life. A beating heart in and amongst their big name leads, flashy productions, and Oscar nominated numbers. Vincente Minnelli's 1951 classic An American in Paris had that so who could ask for anything more?  

Of course, it's rare to find a film with quite as much as heart as An American in Paris. It's an emotional roller-coaster with joy and sadness, love and loneliness, paints and pains. The story of struggling artists that struggle equally in love. Their poetic minds fantasising about what love is, how love should be, and who to love. And the heart of the film is not one that beats, but rather taps as a gleaming Gene Kelly and a solid supporting cast explore the passionate rhythm of art and humanity through song and dance, tip-tapping their toes through some of the most enjoyable musical numbers ever committed to screen. To sum it up in the language of the film: S'wonderful, s'marvellous!

Its vibrant pastel palette protrudes from the screen, engulfing the audience in its radiancing warmth and joy, the picture it paints paying homage to the art it so obviously admires. This is most explicitly and exceptionally clear in its final astonishing dance sequence which leaves the audience gasping and breathless, before throwing them back into reality, just as Gene Kelly's Jerry is at the film's end. There's something undeniably special about the construction, presentation, and execution of every element of An American Paris from the contagious dancing, to the heart warming singing, to the gut punching finish. Is it Kelly's raw charisma and talent? Is it Gershwin's moving music? Is it that jaw-dropping ballet climax? Whatever it is, it's got a pulse; it's got rhythm.

Despite its obvious, major influence on later acclaimed films (see Best Picture winner nominee La La Land) as well as less critically adored musicals, one thing is clear: they just don't make them like this anymore.