The Artistic Way of Edith Piaf — La Vie En Rose Analysis & Review
The sad starlet is portrayed so perfectly it hurts; La Vie En Rose bursts with life and emotion.
Though there may be some critiquing of Olivier Dahan’s supposedly disordered storytelling, it is the performance of Marion Cotillard that makes ‘La Vie En Rose’ an outstanding classic. The purely harsh portrayal and music of Piaf combined with Cotillard’s more than Oscar-winning acting sets a tragically beautiful tale for a piece of world cinema. There may be a cultural divide between what non-European audiences classify as a convincing film, but as far as a French standout film goes, Piaf’s renowned biopic hits the nail on the head fourteen years later. As we are given a myriad of moments in the icon’s life, we as an audience are impacted, and therefore can question our position in the world. It is this inspiration that sets a film on a high pedestal, with ‘La Vie En Rose’ certainly ticking that box.
Born Edith Giovanna Gassion, she is introduced as the daughter of a busker and acrobat, soon dumped at a brothel. Abandoned by her mother and dumped on the doorstep of prostitutes by her father, the opening to Edith’s life has no glory. Yet the icon is born when she is coaxed into performing on the sidewalk. Her father commands her to “do something”, and thus she sings a breathtaking rendition of ‘La Marseilles’. The magic of the film is highlighted in the elemental jump cuts to and from Piaf’s life.
Yet the problem with ‘La Vie En Rose’ only lies in the critical response to it, as some audiences seemed to have a problem with the lack of chronological order in director Dahan’s storytelling. In an article for the Guardian, English writer Peter Bradshaw had ‘La Vie En Rose’ coined as ‘formless and weirdly selective’. Yet, I don’t find it formless or uninspiring, as these moments in time suggest the importance of memory, nostalgia, and the ever-present fade of life, especially in Piaf’s. Though not as orthodox as a usual biopic, and I understand the confusion in choosing to leave out Piaf’s WWII years, yet was there really enough time to include every facet of her life, unless Dahan were to meaninglessly speed and skim over every year of the songstresses career.
And sure, it didn’t show every step of Piaf’s journey but instead opted for personal, touching, and deeply tragic moments that formed Edith and her career. By delving deeper into certain moments, audiences can appreciate both the juxtaposition and contrast of showing Piaf’s early life and beaming end. As she runs through the streets of Paris in her twenties, we also simultaneously see a decrepit Edith in bed, and at death’s door. Where Dahan was to make an emotional statement to define the treacherous nature of Edith’s life, some critics found it boorish. However much the artistically cut presentation of Dahan’s story doesn’t appeal to every audience type, it is this cinematic style that positively sets it apart.
Described by American critic Richard Roeper as ‘a surreal and exhausting experience’, it can be said that selective audiences possibly found it too harsh. Yet its harshness is what makes it so great and so astoundingly cutting. Where American audiences found Piaf to be more intimidating than beautiful, Edith’s arrival in New York City has her reflect on this, as she says ‘Americans want beauties, not me. I’m not the Parisian bombshell they expected’. The cultural divide between what American audiences expect, not only in musicians of the 1930s but in film today, is to have a pristine and glorified fairytale ending. The European way of looking at things is to bring some severity and realism to the table in order to fulfil the meaning and wretchedness in a true story. ‘La Vie En Rose’ is a fantastic example of just this. Yet it still cut through & soared in the United States. Winning three Academy Awards for Best Actress, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, as well as Best Costume Design, its success did reach international heights, inspiring audiences across the globe.
The brutality of Piaf’s journey is characterised by an endless cycle of unfortunate events. And though the title suggests positivity, the painful contrast is that Piaf’s life was far from rosy. As Americans view tales of rags to riches as a Cinderella moment-styled turn-around, Piaf’s lifetime shows us the pursuit and changes of a tortured artist. This is something that we, and foreign audiences like Americans, need to be reminded of in order to immerse ourselves into empathy and the reality of a life lived. It is the classic tale of treachery in an artist’s life throughout the ages — from Van Gogh to Sylvia Plath to Edith herself.
Thanks to the indisputable talents of Marion Cotillard, the sad starlet is portrayed so perfectly it hurts, having ‘La Vie En Rose’ burst with life and emotion. Richard Nilsen from the Arizona Republic quotes Cotillard’s stellar performance as Edith Piaf in regards to the Academy Awards, stating “Don’t bother voting. Just give the Oscar to Marion Cotillard now…her acting is the most astonishing I’ve seen in years”. And it is true, Cotillard was a scarily perfect fit for Piaf, as she tailored herself to Piaf’s throaty song and fiercely sensitive expression. There is no trace of Cotillard, as the physical transformation into Piaf is astounding. Every element of passion, pain, and change is utilised to the fullest, making it the performance of a lifetime. Heart, body, and soul, she is there as Edith, committing all and all to the nature of the iconic musician. Cotillard’s portrayal of Piaf’s indulgence in the finer things in life, does really equate to the classic sex, drugs, rock & roll complex, thus, leading her into some pretty gripping dramas.
It is difficult to pick a standout scene, as in every element of the film, Cotillard exemplifies Piaf’s character. Yet there are memorable moments that define why she was more than deserving of a mere Academy Award. Piaf (spoiler alert) learns the news of the death of her already-wedded professional boxer boyfriend, Marcel Cerdan. It is the twist of emotions, understanding of psychology, and pain that Cotillard brings that makes it unlike any performance I, and many audiences had ever witnessed. This scene is entirely shot in a single take, having Cotillard act with no moment to reevaluate. As she circles the lavish, yet simple accommodation in an attempt to look for Marcel’s watch & ignore any impending sense of doom, she loses it.
Cotillard’s utterly devastating emotional expression transcends any language or culture, making a scene that can be defined as straightforward and one of the most heartening in film history. Followed by Cotillard’s shaking limbs and spine-chilling sobs, she is overtaken by the playing of her own impassioned music, as she glides back onto the stage, signifying her return to music in times of pure distress. To say that Cotillard’s performance was overwhelming or overdramatised isn’t a vital statement, as, given Piaf’s tumultuous life and harsh French attitude, she very likely was as she appears. Cotillard’s work does nothing as such to glorify or mystify Edith, as we are presented with the continued trauma that is laced into the songbird’s life.
If we are to talk about the artistic elements of Dahan’s Piaf biopic, the mix of all departments is what contributes to the beauty of such a powerful story. The sweeping camera movements and overall cinematography choices successfully work, showing us differing perspectives of Piaf’s extraordinary life. This, combined with the Oscar-winning hair, makeup & costume, alongside the professionally beautiful and changing aesthetics throughout only make this journey a heck of a lot more captivating. We watch the remarkable mix of scenes in the final sequence of Piaf’s last moments. Dahan captures every side of a musical legend’s excruciating life. We see the grandeur and iconic status of Edith in her late career, wistfully singing ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’, along with the innocence of childhood in a young, melancholy Piaf standing in an empty field, all while next to her in her final moments, in bed and fading peacefully.
The Piaf-heavy soundtrack is a great win, as the most iconic songs are played when Cotillard’s Edith performs onstage or utilised to support the emotion in the film, blending beautifully together. Along with this, the set design is also exquisite, exuding both the decrepit nature of a young Edith’s life as a girl from the streets of Paris in the early 1930s, to the uplifted European, artistic elegance of a five-star lifestyle. We are given cultural insight into the European way of beauty — love, loss, visual arts, and the rollercoaster of emotion. There is no shortage of interest or classic artistic fulfilment in each area of expression, again, only establishing such a well-rounded, cutting film with passion in every element, having it not miss a beat of creativity.
Even more in the artistic sense of the film, it is how we react to and are shaped by the cinema that characterises an important film. Within Dahan’s interpretation of one woman’s life, we are not only inspired, but given a philosophical approach. Though we see it as a greatly disparaging piece of film with tragedy as the main theme, there is a great deal of hope and resonant beauty in the artistic approach that Dahan takes in characterising Piaf’s gruelling life. Cotillard has Piaf appear as both doomed and reflective, her life equating to a lesson on the unexpected nature of life. Whilst we are sometimes told sentiments like ‘everything happens for a reason’, where do we step in with our faith or spirituality when there is nothing but mercilessness around a life like Ediths? Audiences can take a step back to think about their own position; to be grateful and consider the ephemeral nature of life.
We simply are given an elevated reminder of the deeply contrasting emotions and arduous nature of living. The optimism in Piaf’s music both reflects and contrasts the treachery of and deep changes in Edith’s life. Though we have Edith sitting in beautiful rooms and attending champagne-budget dinners, surrounded by loved ones, she is still haunted by the pain and anger that was left in early childhood. The way of art is to portray the beauty and pathos of life, to have us question and interpret. To get to do that through entertainment is only another luxurious step up through Dahan’s haunting tale.
Heart and soul, I can surely say that ‘La Vie En Rose’ is one of, if not, the most astounding biopic and piece of cinema in the history of film. The criticism doesn’t deserve credit as every available space is filled in the most theatrical, beautiful sense. As a Francophile myself, the artistic way of ‘La Vie En Rose’ is in its painful expression, alongside the cutting-edge work of Marion Cotillard. For a film to both enjoy the elegance of and detest the cruelty of Piaf’s existence, its emotion transcends many cultural barriers. Nevertheless, we are impacted by every spark and tear of a tortured artist through Olivier Dahan’s winning 2007 biopic.
Stars Out Of Five: 5/5
