Rendez-vous: the best 10 movies set in paris

RENDEZ-VOUS: The 10 Best Movies Set In Paris

Paris is synonymous with fine dining experiences, chic fashion, inspiring museums, beautiful architecture, and... glamorous cinema. From Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) to Titane (2021), the City of Lights has always been connected to some of the most important cinema movements in history. Paris has this unique romantic atmosphere and it’s almost impossible to detach the city from the directors, the acting or the stories. Incredibly alluring and infinitely poetic, French cinema is about tradition and, at the same time, pushing this art forward.

ASCENSEUR POUR L’ÉCHAFAUD

From the contrasting black and white photography to the improvised score by Miles Davis and the noir suspense all around, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud is one of those movies that can teach you so much about cinema as the quintessential art of modern times. A masterpiece that becomes even better with the performance by Jeanne Moreau.

À BOUT DE SOUFFLE (1960, Jean-Luc Godard)

Jean-Luc Godard is probably the ultimate enfant terrible of French cinema. Known for ignoring conventional rules of editing, the influential À Bout de Souffle changed cinema forever. It makes use of elements from both Hollywood romanticism and the everyday banal life, and it’s this dialogue that makes the movie so good.

BELLE DE JOUR (1967, Luis Buñuel)

Starring Catherine Deneuve, Belle de Jour introduced us to the “troubled but fascinating French woman” stereotype. On the other hand, Luis Buñuel constantly blurs the line between what is real and what is not. Although there is no explicit sex in the movie, Belle du Jour will always be remembered as the utmost erotic film of contemporary society.

LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972, Bernardo Bertolucci)

Melancholic and sexual in equal doses, Last Tango In Paris is a scandalous movie in all of its essence. Lots of artistic beauty can be found as the movie unfolds, and the performance by Marlon Brando is essential to its avant-garde expression. Despite its shocking nature, Last Tango In Paris is one of the most liberating movies ever made.

PICKPOCKET (1959, Robert Bresson)

With a sophisticated story style, Robert Bresson explores moral issues with abrasive realism in Pickpocket. Philosophical and passionate, it tells the story of a man who can’t stop stealing. The magic lies in the details of the narration and the emotional struggle and inner conflict that is so illustrative of the main character.

THE DREAMERS (2003, Bernardo Bertolucci)

Set in Paris circa 1968, a period of social rebellion, The Dreamers follows the unconventional lifestyle of two young Parisians and an American exchange student. A homage to the Nouvelle vague cinema, this movie is filled with sexual discovery, cultural references and the impact of freedom on the society we know today.

LES 400 COUPS (1959, François Truffaut)

One of the defining films of Nouvelle vague, Les 400 Coups by François Truffaut is a boyhood story. Honest, personal, and heartbreaking, it is truly an art narrative film and highlights its auteur through a very distinctive stylistic signature. Also, it bridges a very needed correlation between cinema and literature.

LES AMANTS DU PONT-NEUF (1991, Leos Carax)

Leos Carax’s Les Amants du Pont-Neuf is a heartbreaking story about the relationship between a homeless man and a woman who is going blind. This movie has some soul-stirring sequences but it’s the depiction of doomed love that made it a gem of French cinema. Deeply touching and indisputably human.

LA HAINE (1995, Mathieu Kassovitz)

Mathieu Kassovitz was awarded the Best Director prize at Cannes Film Festival in 1995 for La Haine. In this movie, we get to see through the eyes of three young men after a violent riot in Paris. Raw and captivating, La Haine is a real lesson on powerful cinematography.

From the very beginning, French cinema has always been bursting with innovative ideas. Sometimes experimental, sometimes futuristic, but always conceptual and revolutionary. Paris stood at the cinematic forefront all these years, by combining images, music, lighting, dialogue and special effects in order to reflect on something. That’s the thing with French cinema - besides being so charming, it helps us understand our lives and the lives of others around us.

AMOUR (2012, Michael Haneke)

Directed by the always charismatic Michael Haneke, Amour is a tale of commitment and affection between an 80-year-old couple. It examines the effects of love and death, and it won the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Plus, there are the otherworldly performances by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva. Unmissable, like all the other movies on this list.