Watch Paris Blues For Free

Better than most people think

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Two visiting American girls strike up romance with two working American musicians, and it's "An American in Paris" times four. That means four times the love, four times the sadness, four times the desires, and four times the blues. Real life American couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are joined by rising stars Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll, exploring the city of lights and romance, discovering each other and themselves, learning a little something about a society not quite as conservative as what they are used to, and hopefully finding out some valuable truths in the meantime.This is a somewhat plot less romantic drama, opening its characters to a life far different than what they are used to, and yet not finding at least the same types of prejudices that were rampant on the other side of the Atlantic. But when you are surrounded by artists of all kinds, the only thing you see is the art, and often skin color becomes like the frosting on the cake. Each of the couples find their differences, question their ideas about commitment, and in the end, it's a holiday romance with bittersweet jazz (brought on by "Sachmo" himself) and that downbeat note that brings on the blues.What you have here is an art house film made mainstream because of its cast, a delight to the ear but sad for the eyes because it's a black and white view of Paris, maybe a metaphor for the black couple and the white couple dealing with the highs (jazz) and the lows (blues), or from one extreme to the other with no real middle. I think this is a film you'd either have to be in a certain kind of mood to appreciate, or maybe revisit it several times. This is definitely not "Blues for dummies".

I wrote a long and loving review of this movie. But when I submitted my review it just disappeared? There must be a glitch in this site. Don't waste your time. But I did love the film. It took months for me to find a copy but was finally able to secure a DVD. Well worth the wait. Sidney Poitier steals the show with his sexuality bolting off the screen as he strides thru the film with the rhythm & grace of a beautiful panther. The chemistry between he and Diahann Carroll is majestic! They were in love in the film, as well as real life. His touches, long looks and kisses were withering... to me. Love scenes between blacks were not done in 1960. This movie was an exception even tho they were clothed thru out the film. I love the City of Lights and it is displayed well in the film. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were already married when they made this movie an she is spectacular, as usual. She can display emotion like no other actress. The music will send you straight to heaven. Paul's character was dark and moody but it fit the film even tho I didn't like his character, he played it well. His music was his life and he chose it over love. He actually learned to play the trombone to make this movie.

Handsomely shot on location in Paris, Sidney Poitier appears as second player to Paul Newman's tense jazz musician Ram Bowen. Like a jazz piece, the film meanders at times, content to get where it's going without overt dramatic flourish, something which both helps and harms the film. Containing relatively sophisticated themes for Hollywood cinema, it nevertheless falls into the trap of being a serviceable film rather than a great one, a string of incidents in need of a more rigid plot.The tagline for the film promised "A love-spectacular so exciting you feel it's personally happening to you", whereas the reality is, you'll probably just think it's happening to Newman and Poitier, who both had more significant and historically lasting films that same year. (The Hustler/A Raisin In the Sun). All this said, the cinematography by Christian Matras is beautiful, Louis Armstrong adds fun playing Louis Armstrong (called "Wild Man Moore") and Newman-Poitier is a pretty good screen pairing, even if Sidney does tower over the film's top billed star by five inches. Amusement can be gleaned by the film's conclusion, which sees both dump their girlfriends to be with each other.

This is not merely a movie about race, jazz, drug use, love affairs, Parisian scenery, etc. It's a movie about all the aforementioned and then some. Ritt & Co. go deeper than just superficially touching on so-called hip, trendy issues. Each character portrayed has his/her own set of "blues" to contend with and no individual set of "blues" is merely confined to one sole issue, but rather a complex mixture of many factors that comprise each of our character's makeup. It is in the intertwining of each character's individual persona with the other characters' own traits and idiosyncrasies that lets the story unfold and take cohesive shape. Successes and failures are inextricably linked, as in Ram's (Newman) fame as a jazz soloist counterpointed with his rejection as a serious composer/arranger. Eddie (Poitier) also has his own set of personal conflicts that are duly explored here.Joanne Wodward, Diahann Carrol and Barbara Laage (in a more minor role, albeit soulful and penetrating) all hit their mark with humor, depth and candor. Serge Reggiani's role as the junkie guitar player adds his own set of "blues" to an already spicy mixture of music, love, rejection and pathos. "Satchmo" and company provide a most welcome musical interlude at just the right time to lighten up the plot just a bit!A timelessly entertaining film.