Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du paradis | Children of Paradise (1944)

This Carné/Prévert collaboration is set in the Parisian theatrical world, on 'Le Boulevard du crime', Le Boulevard du Temple, where so many theatres existed in the first half of the nineteenth century. This film lasts for over three hours and is in two parts: 'Le Boulevard du crime' and 'L'Homme blanc'. The story revolves around Garance (Arletty), and four men who are in different ways involved with her.

These men relate to four characters who existed in reality: Baptiste Deburau (Jean-Louis Barrault), an immensely talented mime artist; Frédérick Lemaître (Pierre Brasseur), a very talented actor who is also full of self importance and a chaser of women; le Comte Édouard de Montray (Louis Salou), inspired by le Duc de Morny, who is in love with Garance and willing to protect her; and Pierre-François Lacenaire (Marcel Herrand), who is a sinister criminal posing as a scrivener.

The first part is set in approximately 1828, the second several years later: in this later period, Baptiste is a well-known mime artist, Frédérick a well-known actor, and Garance has lived for several years abroad with Montray. On her return to Paris she secretly visits Le théâtre des Funambules to see Baptiste, with whom she's remained in love. It's the following events by the three men that are also of interest in the film.

Frédérick has always wanted to play Othello, and when he re-meets Garance he for the first time experiences jealousy, meaning that he can now play the play; the cuckolded Montray is killed by the nihilistic Lecanaire, who stoically awaits execution; and, following his night of love with Garance some years after marrying Nathalie (Maria Casarès), Frédérick seeks in vain for his lover. There's a lot here to be made of the relationship with Shakespeare's Othello.

NB. 'Paradis' refers to the highest and cheapest seats in a theatre, formerly called 'the gods' in English slang.