Gates of Paris (Porte des lilas—"Gate of Lilacs") is a 1957 film from France directed by Rene Clair.
Juju and "the Artist" are best friends, two middle-aged men who live in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, near the eponymous "Porte des Lilas" city gate. Neither seem to have much in the way of employment; the Artist just lounges around the local bistro strumming his guitar, while Juju sponges off of his elderly mom. Juju spends his evenings hanging out at the bistro, where he gazes with longing at Maria, the bistro owner's daughter, who is gorgeous and half his age.
One day, there's a disturbance in the neighborhood caused by the police chasing after an escaped convict, one Pierre Barbier. Juju and the Artist come strolling back in to the latter's home, a dilapidated shack, only to find Barbier hiding in the basement. The duty of hospitality and a general "eff the police" attitude lead the two men to give Barbier refuge and aid him in getting a fake passport. However, Juju's cheerful willingness to help Barbier escape starts to change when he sees Barbier making eyes at Maria.
This was a rare film appearance for Georges Brassens (the Artist), far better known as a legendary poet and folk singer.
Tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Maria has humored the obviously love-struck Juju, but when she meets Barbier—a fugitive, a murderer, but young and handsome—she is swept off her feet. Of course, Juju, being unemployed and pudgy and twice Maria's age, is not exactly a compelling romantic match.
- Conspicuous Trenchcoat: The three men in the shack are terrified when two guys in conspicuous trenchcoats who are obviously cops show up outside. They are even more terrified when the two men, who are in fact cops, come in. The cops are there for the cans of foie gras that Juju stole.
- Dramatic Irony: The barkeep indignantly says of Barbier the wanted fugitive, that if he'd come to their neighborhood he wouldn't have escaped. This while Barbier is hiding in the Artist's basement, right around the corner.
- Dramatic Sit-Down: The Artist does this when, after he thought the cops were there to arrest them for harboring a murderer, it turns out the cops were only inquiring about the stolen cans of foie gras.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Presumably the Artist has a name but it is never spoken.
- Foreshadowing: When Juju and the Artist are nervous about the cans of foie gras that Juju stole, they consider hiding the cans in the basement. This is basically to reveal that the humble shack has a basement, to set up Barbier hiding there soon after.
- Holding Both Sides of the Conversation: Maria hears Juju talking to someone inside—Barbier. Desperate to stop her from coming in and finding out who he was talking to, he pretends he was talking to the Artist, asking him a question and sort of harrumphing in response. Maria isn't fooled, and even if she had been, the Artist walks up from outside moments later.
- Leg Focus: Barbier first notices Maria when, while looking outside the basement window, he sees her dangling her long legs. (Maria is sitting on the stoop waiting for Juju.)
- Lingerie Scene: The one scene where Maria is not wearing a tight sweater is the scene where she gets up out of bed wearing a bra and half-slip.
- Local Hangout: The corner bistro, where Juju and the Artist and everybody else in the neighborhood hangs out.
- The Place: The "Porte de Lilas", or Port of Lilacs, one of the gateways to the city of Paris.
- Sacred Hospitality: Why does the Artist hide Barbier from the cops, and eventually get him a fake passport? "Because you're in my house," says he.
- Significant Background Event:
- As Maria's dad the barkeep reads the story of Barbier's bloody escape, the kids in the street outside the window are reenacting the story. When the barkeep reads that Barbier killed two cops, a kid is hauling away two other kids in a wagon. When the barkeep reads of the cops using bloodhounds to trace Barbier, a kid outside can be seen with a dog on a leash.
- The Artist and Juju come home to find Barbier gone. They are startled, and Juju asks "Where could he be?". At that moment Barbier's head pops up in the window behind Juju. A moment later Barbier raps on the glass.
- They Have the Scent!: The cops come by and check out the Artist's shack, but they don't find Barbier, because he's hiding in the basement. Later when they come by with bloodhounds, the bloodhounds try to pull the cops into the shack, but the cops assume the dogs are confused and push on.
- The Voice: At one point Juju and the Artist attempt to take Barbier's clothes, in two trunks, to his girlfriend. The girlfriend tells them she is leaving town and refuses to accept the trunks. She appears onscreen only as a voice and a hand handing back the suitcases through the doorway.
