Finding his last movie the 1947 Canadian Film Noir Whispering City to be very good, and Amok (1934-both reviewed) to be an interesting off-beat title,I decided to take a look at film maker Fyodor Otsep's other works. Going down Otsep's credits, I found an intriguing-sounding one online, which had no IMDb reviews! This led to me looking at the mirages in Paris.
Note: Some spoilers in review.
The plot:
Stuck in a boarding school, Madeleine looks to the bright lights and the stars of stage shows in Paris as dream images. Wanting to live her dream and become "The toast of Paris", Madeleine runs off from the school at night, and heads for Paris. Arriving in Paris with a few coins and a suitcase of rags, Madeleine discovers that her dreams of stardom were mirages.
View on the film:
Awe-struck by the sights and bright lights of Paris, cute Jacqueline Francell, (who died after suddenly fainting on stage in 1962 at just 54 years old) gives an enchanting performance as Madeleine,whose wide-eyed excitement at becoming star of Paris is captured with a twirl by Francell. Holding Madeleine back from her dreams, co-writer/(with René Pujol/Victor Trivas and Hans H. Zerlett) director Fyodor Otsep gives the boarding school a wooden, drab appearance, sawn open in winding tracking shots round the corridors where there are no classes that fulfil Madeleine's dreams. Putting her best foot forward arriving in Paris and getting involved in theatre, Otsep makes an early staging in the " fantastique" genre, (which became popular during the Occupation) in the productions Madeleine joins having grand, extravagant sets captured by Otsep's graceful pans across the stage. Magicking up a wish-fulfilment tale, the writers finely balance Madeline facing knock-backs over her love of stars,with a sweetly natured sincerity over Madeline stepping on stage and making the mirages of Paris real.
Note: Some spoilers in review.
The plot:
Stuck in a boarding school, Madeleine looks to the bright lights and the stars of stage shows in Paris as dream images. Wanting to live her dream and become "The toast of Paris", Madeleine runs off from the school at night, and heads for Paris. Arriving in Paris with a few coins and a suitcase of rags, Madeleine discovers that her dreams of stardom were mirages.
View on the film:
Awe-struck by the sights and bright lights of Paris, cute Jacqueline Francell, (who died after suddenly fainting on stage in 1962 at just 54 years old) gives an enchanting performance as Madeleine,whose wide-eyed excitement at becoming star of Paris is captured with a twirl by Francell. Holding Madeleine back from her dreams, co-writer/(with René Pujol/Victor Trivas and Hans H. Zerlett) director Fyodor Otsep gives the boarding school a wooden, drab appearance, sawn open in winding tracking shots round the corridors where there are no classes that fulfil Madeleine's dreams. Putting her best foot forward arriving in Paris and getting involved in theatre, Otsep makes an early staging in the " fantastique" genre, (which became popular during the Occupation) in the productions Madeleine joins having grand, extravagant sets captured by Otsep's graceful pans across the stage. Magicking up a wish-fulfilment tale, the writers finely balance Madeline facing knock-backs over her love of stars,with a sweetly natured sincerity over Madeline stepping on stage and making the mirages of Paris real.
