Mis-en-scene

The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain is a fantastic movie. Setting this film within the mid-90's was a great idea because there was a lot of chaotic things happening throughout the world; Princess Diana's death, legalized divorce, re-election of Bill Clinton, stolen French art, and so much more. Amelie's life was as chaotic and eventful as real life was. Amelie's apartment was in the heart of the city she lived in, not far from where her varying adventures took place, which allowed the viewer to be entertained by the visual surroundings as well as the storyline. In certain parts of the film the camera effects were very edgy and disoriented, which is very reminiscent of Amelie's thoughts and actions.

The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain was just as comical as it was intriguing. Some of the film's comedy be attributed to two elements; the narration and the characters' interaction with the audience. Throughout the film the characters would look and speak directly to the camera. Characters addressing the audience provides an element of surprise, because that is not the "norm" in movies; however it is comical because of what the characters said. The narration was comical because if gave Amelie and the secondary characters a backstory that was light hearted and attempted to explain why they acted in such odd ways. The story had no "normal" characters, they were all very eccentric and odd, but that's what made them unique. Something that was revealing about Amelie is that in 90% of her scenes she was shrouded in red apparel, on a neutral (e.g. tan, light green, and white) backdrop, adding to her uniqueness.

Overall, The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain, was strategically filmed to enhance the viewers thoughts and ideas about the characters and the storyline. The movie is reminiscent of any romantic comedy but with an Alice In Wonderland twist. It is comprised of very interesting characters and backdrops, but it is an attractive film that exudes boldness and creativity, that can not be duplicated by anyone else. This film does leave me with one thought...will I enjoy another French film?

-Kerstin D.