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Rating: What I forgot to tell you in the previous reviews is that these American films, shot between 1930 and 1934, constitute pre-Code Hollywood cinema. The prohibited Hollywood, cinema without censorship.
In detail (from the Palazzo delle Esposizioni website, hosting the exhibition)
For all cinema enthusiasts, the "Pre-Code" era was a unique and unrepeatable season in the history of Hollywood, still capable of fascinating audiences today with its profound nonconformity. In truth, it was just a handful of years, from 1930 to 1934, between the triumph of sound and the enforcement of the infamous Hays Code, which imposed what could not be shown or told in films. Yet, these were decisive years, especially due to the social tensions the United States experienced following the Wall Street crash of '29: what flourished in that brief time window was a cinema with an aggressive and unabashed attitude, tackling many sensitive themes head-on and with a freedom that would only return to Hollywood in the '60s. From sex to violence, from racial issues to criticism of the prison system, from the world of crime to women's emancipation, there was no controversial subject that was not explored by American cinema of those years, with tones and forms way ahead of their times and with little concern for the so-called "moral standards" of viewers. What made this enterprise epochal was the contribution of genius directors like Lubitsch, Hawks, Sternberg, Curtiz, Fleming, or Capra, to name a few, supported by a group of extraordinary divas who embodied a new female model, both ironic, resolute, and uninhibited: from Marlene to Mae West, from Barbara Stanwyck to Jean Harlow. The result is a cinema with unbridled creativity that never ceases to surprise us, reminding us once again how freedom from censorship is the formidable driving force of every art.
With this overdue (and late) premise in mind, let's say a few words about Trouble in Paradise by Ernst Lubitsch.
Let's start by saying that Lubitsch is one of the greatest directors of all time. He is the pioneer of modern American comedy (and if we even say he invented it, no one would be shocked).
The rhythm, the dialogues, the ideas, a structure as magnificent as it is solid, inlaid, sculpted, and polished by what would be defined as the "Lubitsch touch" which is something not easy to define (watch to understand)—a mix of wit, surprise, a word, a glance, a twist, within a sumptuous screenplay.
In short, although the definition may seem somewhat "cold," we could call it a true handbook of usage. If you haven't fully understood (because the oral explanation is by no means exhaustive) what I mean, I'll just tell you that you've probably seen this touch hundreds of times (but done worse) in hundreds of American comedies (and not only those, subsequently). I'll give you just one example: in his old film from '19 "Der Papagei" (The Parrot), there's a scene where the doll eats secretly and just as the other turns around, she freezes (remind you of anyone? But yes, Fantozzi eating the meatballs "you munch!"). Lubitsch is surprise, it’s that line, situation, or something else that hits you, lights something up inside, makes you laugh and smile. It's as if it calls out to laughter and extracts it like a tooth but without hurting you. This "touch" (I've already said) overly copied (poorly) is now a "must" in comedy in general—indeed, it will be overused (think about the recent 40 years of American comedy series, with the annoying offstage laughter for jokes that, in the best cases, are dull).
At this point, know that Lubitsch himself once said about Trouble in Paradise: "In terms of style, I've never done anything that surpassed or even equaled Trouble in Paradise".
Lily and Gaston, a couple of charming and skilled jewel thieves, sneak into the house of Marianne, a wealthy lady of Parisian high society. The man pretends to be a secretary while the woman pretends to be his typist. In love with each other, the two have decided to be a permanent couple even at work. An unexpected event occurs though…
The film opens in Venice, so there are moments where the actors speak in the original language (Italian). Well, even the dialogues in Italian are at a very high level of writing (just to show the kind of work behind it).
And if Lubitsch is the leader of this team, a great match is the exemplary screenplay by Samson Raphaelson, or the soundtrack by Frank Harling, which perfectly paces each scene. What can we say about the actors? The gentleman thief Gaston Monescu, led by the superb interpretation of Herbert Marshall. Just below is Lily (Miriam Hopkins) who is even funnier. Lastly, the wealthy countess (who, however, is more beautiful than Lily).
To draw a parallel with music, the basic subject of the de-base, Lubitsch not only invented a genre, but after 100 years, no one has surpassed him, with the exception of his protégé Billy Wilder who, at least rightly, can sit at the same table, but has not even "aged badly." He hasn't aged a single day and is indeed still much more emancipated and modern today than many puritanical and bigoted nonsense to come.
Trouble in Paradise is a highly refined and sophisticated masterpiece, brilliant, devilish, above the clouds, not over the top, because he drew the lines.
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