Children of Paradise is wondrous. There are so many scenes of such magnificent power; it must be seen to be believed. From the opening shot of carnival (with undoubtedly 200+ extras), I knew I was in for a treat. It is one of the most engrossing movies I have ever seen. Funny at times, sad at others. And in just the right proportions. Unique yet universal. The three hour plus running time went by so fast; I would continue watching this if it were 24 hours long, or longer. The camerawork, dialogue, and acting in this movie carry themselves with such authority, you tell yourself that this is how movies are made. Every shot in this movie is so precise, so absolute--you can't possibly imagine it being better if anything had been changed.The screenplay was written by the poet Jacques Prévert, and it shows. Every sentence is a poem. The acting matches, and acting of such high caliber by a cast as large and diverse as in this movie is a rarity. But Carné's work as director somehow manages to outshine even those aspects. He understands cinema so intimately. The framing, the timing, the background (in each shot and of each character), the movement (of the camera and the actors in front of it)--all are delivered with such pinpoint accuracy. The outward simplicity belies the necessary technical skill. But the movie is incredibly self-aware, an entity poking fun at itself while standing firm in its beliefs. And it is a veritable goldmine when it comes to analysis.
I really cannot think of any negatives. Like I said before, I can't possibly imagine it being better if anything had been changed. This movie is without a doubt a masterpiece of the classic style of filmmaking.
IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0037674/