Was this film produced at a similar level as American films that I am used to? No, Amélie was produced at a much lower level, but this doesn't mean that Amélie was a bad movie. The movie was just fine, but that might be the highest rating I'd give this film. The acting, special effects, design, and other aspects of this film were very lacking compared with what I am used to in American movies. However, laughing during this film was quite common and the message and plot were presented well.
The setting of this film is extremely important to the formation of the main character, Amélie. Paris, therefore, had many effects on Amélie as she grew up. There might have been many reasons for her shy and secluded behavior growing up, but one might think it was due to the overwhelming size of the city that she lived in. Despite the large size of Paris, Amélie searches across the city to find people that she hopes to help and bring happiness to. However, one might think that it would be extremely difficult to track down people in an area the size of Paris. This is the point at which destiny and fate can play a large role in a film's setting, as seen by the joining of Amélie and her "man friend" at the end of the film. Only fate could bring these two random strangers together in a city like Paris.
One aspect that I was extremely confused about were the colors used in Amélie. It seemed as if the main colors used were green and red. In many scenes that took place outside, the clouds even had a green tint! A somewhat unique look was constructed by the choice to use the two primary colors of green and red throughout much of the film. In addition, the costumes and makeup used in the film were very plain. Nothing stood out or was memorable about the appearance of the characters in this film.
There are many possibilities why the director didn't focus attention on color, costumes, and makeup. For example, the director might have chosen to limit the use of makeup and flashy costumes so that they didn't detract from the characters' personalities and nature. Another reason why the film's colors, costumes, and makeup seemed to be lacking could be due to the budget of the movie. Since it was a foreign film, the director might have known that it wasn't likely to have the same success that American films attain. With that being acknowledged, financial resources might not have been applied in these areas. Or there could be a completely different reason that the director had in mind for his choice to use simple colors, costumes, and makeup.
This was a very simple film as indicated by the script and how the movie was directed. The simplicity of Amélie could be attributed to the French target audience. With the audience in mind, the movie didn't necessarily need to be action packed with special effects to draw in the attention of viewers. Instead, the director wanted to spread a simple message to the audience: "Like Amélie, do kind things for each other, but do not completely forget about doing things for yourself on occasion." With a meaningful message such as this, a simple film is the way to go by ensuring that viewers will clearly understand the film's purpose.
In the end, this film was a nice change of pace for me. With all the action movies and raunchy comedies that are circulating in America, Amélie proved that foreign films are worth watching. Though I might not watch it more than once, the calm flow and simplicity of this film made viewing it an enjoyable and relaxing experience.
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