Sous les Toits de Paris (Under the Roofs of Paris) (1930)

83% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(659 ratings)

Rene Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris is one of the first French films shot in sound. The film is a relaxed melodrama where a Parisian street singer (Albert Prejean) and his friend (Edmond Greville) pursue the love of the same woman (Pola Illery). Clair chose to use sound only when needed,… More Rene Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris is one of the first French films shot in sound. The film is a relaxed melodrama where a Parisian street singer (Albert Prejean) and his friend (Edmond Greville) pursue the love of the same woman (Pola Illery). Clair chose to use sound only when needed, preferring to tell the story through his visuals as well as through his dialogue. The result is a striking film, boasting beautiful photography and sets, as well as a moving story. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: René Clair
Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 2, 1930 Wide
On DVD: Sep 24, 2002

Critic Reviews

John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
initial revelation of Paris 'with its warts'
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Compared to his contemporaries Jean Renoir and Jean Vigo, Clair was a minor talent, though both of these films do contain innovative uses of sound mixed with silent film.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
Like a good wine, there's a bouquet preserved here, a joyously French 'April in Paris with Chevalier and a beret' spirit accented by antiquarian Parisian scenes from c. 1929, never mind that they were studio-bound.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
Criterion's DVD release ... delivers their customary masterful transfer and optimal image quality from a new digital transfer created from a 35mm composite fine-grain master.... The disc also comes with an ace collection of supplementary material....
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Pioneering French musical, with a brilliant opening about street singers.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
A funny and sweet romantic tug-of-war.
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
Clair seriously hurt the movie when he re-edited it 20 years later by deleting the opening scene.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
strikes an amazing balance between the gritty and the transcendental
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
There's little to be gleaned from a plot that had already become tired 70 years ago.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Eric B

Director Rene Clair peaked with "Le Million" and "A Nous la Liberte" in 1931, but the previous year's "Under the Roofs of Paris" was a solid step toward those twin glories. Unfortunately, the plot of "Paris" is trivial -- just a dull… More
Director Rene Clair peaked with "Le Million" and "A Nous la Liberte" in 1931, but the previous year's "Under the Roofs of Paris" was a solid step toward those twin glories. Unfortunately, the plot of "Paris" is trivial -- just a dull neighborhood tale of a street singer, his best friend and a crook competing for the same pretty girl. But the music is what's most hard to swallow. Anyone not sentimental for wheezing Parisian accordion will cringe through these moldy tunes. And the singer's money scheme -- leading curbside sing-alongs in the hopes of peddling sheet music -- is also horribly archaic. Really, "Under the Roofs of Paris" is only notable as filmmaking. It's obviously an early talkie and, in every scene, Clair aggressively wrestles with the new technology. The line between experimentation and mere frugality isn't so clear -- many scenes take convenient shortcuts, like when inaudible dialogue in a bar seems drowned out by nearby music. Except the music has been added to silent footage in post-production, only simulating a "live," diegetic soundtrack. Such quirks are common throughout the film. Clair was ambivalent about the arrival of sound, and he steadily tweaks the medium here. Other twists include a morning alarm that is turned off by touching a shoe, a scratched "William Tell Overture" record used as score and an important fight scene that is silent except for irrelevant train noises. The momentum tends to shut down when a rare conversation occurs. And the acoustics aren't right, due to primitive miking and shooting "outdoor" scenes inside a studio. "Under the Roofs of Paris" is one of those films that's revered more because it was ahead of the curve than because it was actually so great.