Paris qui dort (1925)

Just saw the Rene Clair short, Paris qui dort (Paris Asleep).  You may feel you’ve already seen these ideas before but remember this was made in 1924.  I think it’s aged quite well.  A mad scientist’s invention causes Parisians to sleep except for those in air including one man who was atop the Eiffel Tower and a group that just arrived at the airport.  It’s cute to see the city stop like a policeman who has not yet caught a thief.  Together the ones awake steal money, loot shops, and get drunk for free!  It’s fun for a while until they get bored. They can enjoy the material things in Paris but not it’s vibrant city.

Some scenes got confusing because there were shots of moving cars while Paris was sleeping. I thought the city had woken up but apparently not.  The moving cars were so obvious that the editors must have noticed it even in 1924 or maybe we modern viewers are more sophisticated that I’m being harsh on our ancestors. Aside from that minor fault, it is a fun short.