There are two films embedded in The Air of Paris (French: L’air de Paris), the powerful drama by Marcel Carné. The first is the heartbreaking story of a former boxer, played by Jean Gabin, who hopes to recapture the spirit of his glory days through training a promising young athlete, played by Roland Lesaffre. The second is a socio-cultural odyssey that sees the director traversing different strata of Parisian society, looking at the lives of people on both ends of the economic spectrum, and how some are inherently more at a disadvantage than others. Not remembered as fondly as many of the other poignant French dramas that looked at similar matters around the same time, but just as powerful as the best of them, The Air of Paris is tremendously captivating film that proves what a monumental talent Carné was, since his ability to tell such a simple story without neglecting the intricate details that make his films unforgettable is just as evident here as it was in his canonical masterpieces like Children of Paradise and Port of Shadows (two films that have maintained their status as classics of French cinema, the former in particular widely considered to be a towering achievement of world cinema). It’s an easygoing film that carries an immense emotional heft that we can feel from the first melancholy moments, with Carné establishing a sense of downbeat optimism throughout the film, leading us to feel the same complex emotions experienced by the main characters as they venture through a version of a city they believed they knew exceptionally well, until they realize that there isn’t always one way to perceive your surroundings, which tends to change the more one gravitates towards a particular social class, whether by choice or through exposure.

There’s a certain poeticism to the work Carné produced over his lifetime, even in the form of something that appears as straightforward as a social drama about a former boxer trying to regain his reputation. The Air of Paris may arrive in the form of a relatively straightforward drama, but this doesn’t preclude it from having an abundance of heart, and adhering to the high quality of artistic integrity that the director was known to produce. Most of this comes in the stark contrast between the different classes – half of the film takes place in the shabby, working-class home that serves as the main character’s training base for his students, while the other half is in luxurious restaurants and other high-society venues that are frequented when the younger boxer receives a small burst of recognition after an unexpected victory. The contrast between the two serves as the foundation for the film, and Carné ensures that there is a degree of symmetry between them, never lingering on one longer than the other, but rather immersing us into both worlds, in which he is able to show the conflict that exists in the social system, as represented in the characters and their varying interpretations of the situation. There are two very different sides of Paris, as reflected in the film, and this dual structure serves as the theoretical foundation for the film, which derives a great deal of intricate commentary from this approach – and every moment is filled with the director’s clear and coherent willingness to evoke certain emotions in the hopes of stirring thought and discussion, which is perhaps the most effective aspect of a film that would have likely been far less successful had such an approach not been taken.

When it comes to acting titans, Jean Gabin towers above many of his contemporaries in the French film industry. One of the rare actors whose career extends from the earliest days of his national cinema, to the middle of the Nouvelle Vague, he was a notoriously prolific actor who always brought an impeccable level of quality to his performances. His work in The Air of Paris is certainly not an exception, and it could be a legitimate candidate to be considered one of his finest performances. The role of Victor Le Garrec is not one that seems necessarily complex – he’s a former boxer living his past successes through a protege who reflects everything he once cherished in himself. Essentially, any older actor who could play the role in theory – but Gabin does something very different with the part, bringing out the inherent heartache in the character, with every scene developing him from his status as a grouchy, washed-up athlete to a far more vivid and understated character whose pain at having lost everything he held dear to his career after he was deemed unsuitable to continue pursuing his dreams. It’s a masterful performance from a true legend of French cinema, and one that is complemented by very strong performances by Roland Lesaffre and Arletty, who have their own individual moments of brilliance while working as part of a strong ensemble. As a character-driven drama, it’s logical that The Air of Paris would be mostly dependent on the quality of the central performances, so it’s unsurprising that Carné brought out some wonderful work from a strong ensemble of actors willing to commit entirely to this challenging but beautiful material.

Simplicity is key to a film like The Air of Paris, and few directors understood the value of marinating on a particular moment better than Carné. Rather than attempting to be too adventurous in the execution of his stories, and more focused on the smallest and most profound details derived from everyday life, the director gradually deconstructs the foundation of many intimating concepts, including the class divide and the expectations that come with overt masculinity, especially in a patriarchal culture. There are themes that are discussed throughout the film, but it never once feels as if we’re the subject of preaching. Instead, everything feels extremely natural and sincere, almost as if the director took a camera into the real world and captured a few key moments in the lives of these characters. The oscillation between the very impressive fight scenes that serve as the spectacle of the film, and the more quiet moments (whether in the ramshackle home of the main character, or the high-society establishments that his student attends after getting a taste of glory), is absolutely magnificent, with Carné proving his aptitude as not only a great storyteller, but a brilliant visual stylist as well, which lends the film an unprecedented amount of depth, and only makes it a more fascinating achievement when we look at the individual components. Some of the filmmaking is quite genuinely staggering, but what leaves the most lasting impression is the more simple moments, since these reflect reality in a way that we don’t rarely get an opportunity to witness, which only increases the poignancy of this film.

The Air of Paris is a relatively underrated film, mainly reserved for discussion amongst devotees of either the director or the leading actor (or perhaps both), rather than being seen as a canonical classic of French cinema. However, this seems to be doing the film a slight disservice, since it is far better than its relative obscurity would have you believe. It’s not a film that does anything we haven’t seen before, but rather one that takes familiar material and turns it into something unforgettable. There are several instances of artworks centred around individuals who have been forced to abandon the passions they held in their younger years for a number of reasons, and have grown grizzled and despondent in their older years, while trying to recapture the spark of their youth through the younger generation that they mentor. Even in the sub-genre of boxing films, The Air of Paris remains quite influential, helping define this kind of story as one that is a legitimate platform for powerful stories, rather than being limited to those who adore the sport. It’s simple, beautifully made and profoundly moving in both theory and execution. It never ventures too far out of its comfort zone, adhering to conventions while still leaving a wonderful impression. For all these reasons, and many others, it’s easy to see why The Air of Paris is such a cherished work, albeit one that will hopefully undergo a larger reappraisal in coming years.