La vie en rose (Oliver Dahan, 2007): France

I recently had the opportunityto see La vie en rose at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for the second time ( once just wasn’t enough). La vie en roseis the deeply emotional story about real- life chanteuse Edith Piaf( 1915-1963). For those of you unfamiliar with Piaf and her music, let me just say that she is to France what Billy Holiday( 1915-1959) is to America. Both women led tragic lives, which was reflected in their music. Known for her unique voice, and the ability to turn any material into her own, Edith Piaf became an icon in France and an international superstar. Known for her poignant ballads and heartbreaking voice Piaf told a story with each song. Much of the strength of the film is due to the mesmerizing performance of Marion Cotillard. Cotillard recently won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a musical and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Director Oliver Dahan is no stranger to putting music on film (he has directed music videos for groups such as the Cranberries) has said that he did not set out to make a traditional biography. ” I did not want to make a biography I wanted to make a portrait.” Dahan attempts to create this portrait by showing the viewer bits and pieces of Piaf’s life. Like memory its self, the narrative is fractured moving between present day and the past with the help of numerous flashback sequences. The film opens near the end of Piaf’s life as she collapses on a New York stage. Dahan uses successive flashbacks to tell the story of Piaf’s turbulent childhood, whose story makes toast out modern day heroines like Judy Garland. Her real life seems implausibly impossible. Abandoned by her parents as a young girl Piaf is left at the brothel of her paternal grandmother where one of the prostitutes becomes her surrogate mother. Emmauelle Seigner (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) plays Titine with wrought emotion when little Edith is taken from the brothel. Without giving too much away let me say that news only gets worse from here on out.

With all do respect to other memorable biographies, such as Ray (2004) for which Jamie Fox won an Oscar, and Lady Sings the Blues (1972) the film that launched Diana Ross’ acting career and won her an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Billy Holiday, La vie en rose is a visceral experience like none other. Dahan takes full advantage of the music. The glorious, heart wrenching ecstasy of Piaf’s voice, which carries the viewer like a bird from the depths of despair to the heights of passion. All this from a woman called “the sparrow”. le vie en Rose does exactly what Dahan wanted it to: paint a portrait of a woman that soared so high she got her wings clipped on her way to heaven. La vie en rose is currently available on DVD and will take you to places you’ll never forget.