Lit Log #2, The Cinematic and Theatrical Elements of Amélie

While watching Amélie, I had a feeling that this movie was similar to another movie I had watched before. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what movie it was until the scene about what Amélie likes. It’s when I made the connection to the movie Matilda, which was released in 1998. I hadn’t realized how I didn’t connect the two earlier, they were eerily similar. I looked up the two films to see if the director of Amélie could’ve possibly taken inspiration from Matilda but didn’t find much except a Spanish article that agreed with me. I wasn’t crazy as they had many similarities to the movie posters, wacky childhood, love of sweets, a sense of justice, and happy endings. The storytelling and camera work was also super similar in that they both must be in a super niche movie category. I mention all of this because it was those characteristics that made me enjoy Amélie so much. Matilda is a staple in many of our childhoods because of how lighthearted and fun it was. I found all of that in Amélie but with a more mature plot.

Starting with the narrator in Amélie who introduces the movie to us which I thought was a smart decision. Amélie is a very eccentric character and without much context from the narrator, we wouldn’t know why she acts the way she does. An example of this would be when the narrator explained what Amélie likes. She likes dipping her hand in grain sacks, cracking creme brulee, and skipping stone. These habits could be attributed to the weird upbringing that allows her to enjoy the simplicity of life. Another example is the phone booth scene in which the narrator explains why the box is so important to Dominique. In explaining the sentiment’s meaning, the narrator makes the audience more emotional. The narrator also allows Amélie to break the fourth wall frequently which adds a whimsical element to the film. It adds a nice touch to the film and fits nicely with her personality.

Another theatrical element that made the film work was the use of black & white for flashbacks and to show “likes”. Although the film is a full-color movie, whenever introducing a character’s habits, black & white were used. Though these habits were strange and random, they added texture to the movie. There were many examples of this throughout the film like the introduction of Suzanne, Georgette, and Gina. While they don’t add much to the plot, they don’t take anything away from it. If anything it just makes everyone all the more interesting and more dimensioned. It does fit into the movie when you think about all the fourth wall breakings. The flashbacks also include a variety of aesthetically pleasing sounds like bubble wrap popping, a cat bowl on tile, and soft whispering. When listening to it on the speakers, it is a nice experience for the ears.

The last cinematic element that I hadn’t realized until the ending was the color palette of the film. It was centered around yellow, green, and red. While Amélie was made in 2001, these colors made it seem much more nostalgic yet modern. It gave the movie a homey feel and fit right in with the aesthetic of the film. If the movie had used more bold, modern coloring it wouldn’t contrast well. Can you imagine the movie with the color scheme of a movie like Edward Scissorhands? An example of how well this color scheme works is in Amélie’s clothing, she frequently uses the color red in her clothes. When draped against the yellow background, it separates her from the rest of Paris. She is different from the other people that surround her and these red dresses are what signal that. In my opinion, Amélie’s color scheme is one of the most beautiful I have seen and it’s what made Paris all the more alluring.

In my own time, I had to go back and rewatch some of the scenes in the movie because I didn’t quite understand. I realized that some things just didn’t have much meaning and were just there for fun. That is what makes Amélie so great, it is super lighthearted. The cinematic and technical elements were all carefully crafted and still stand out today in contrast to other films. The movie doesn’t seem outdated or out of place because of the way it was filmed and written. If anything it is like wine, it gets better as it ages.