Amélie

 

The elderly neighbor’s realization of life; the recognition of a frustrated writer; the childhood memory of an old landlord; and the coffee colleague’s belated love – all of these precious gifts are coming from a normal girl named Amélie (Audrey Tautou).

 

Because of Princess Diana’s death, Amélie felt the loneliness and vulnerability of life, so she started to help others. However, never did she imagine, the video store clerk, Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) would become her most difficult project. So Amélie started to implement a series of plans on him.

 

Amélie (2001) is a comedy/romance/fantasy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. In the end of the film, the series of long shots of the different characters’ lives, along with the close up shots of Amélie and Nino, all emphasize the theme of Amélie that a little help can make big change in other’s lives, and normal people, like Amélie, can change this world in their own way.

 

In the last sequence, four fluid long shots of four different people have showed how their lives have changed because of Amélie’s help.

 

All the elements of and within the long shot are tools to heighten the proof of each character’s changes. With relaxing background music, the shot begins with the frustrated writer. He walks from the shadow into the shot. A short image flashes across the screen, which portrays his words “Without you, today’s emotions would be only the scurf of yesterday’s” written on the wall with a red pen as graffiti. After he reads his words, he leaves, walking into the sunshine. His walking becomes more relaxed and happy. A pretty woman who walks by him catches his attention. He briskly jumps across the iron chain, walking into the sunset with several birds flying up to the sky. 

 

These little elements all happened within one long shot, which makes the writer’s changes more obvious. He becomes happier and more confident. Even more, he is starting to find the beauty in his life. These changes are all because of Amélie’s writing on the wall. Although what Amélie did is simple, it gives the writer what he needs most –recognition.

 

This long shot lets these changes tie together with the atmosphere from few seconds ago. Because all changes are included in one shot, everything just happened naturally without any deliberation. Additionally, audiences will accept these changes automatically. The angle is like that of a street bystander, who is standing there recording the change of this frustrated writer. All of the writer’s changes are because of the writing on the wall. Amélie’s behavior may take her less than 3 minutes, but it does change the writer a lot.

 

The second character in long shot is Bretodeau, who has obviously changed his life as a result of Amélie’s help.

 

The smooth, long shot makes everything realistic and strengthens the evidences character’s changes. As usual, he is cutting the chicken, but the difference is he is cutting it with a smile on his face. He takes out the tender chicken breast and gives that to his grandson. The little boy is smiling and looks on with happiness.

 

This long shot starts with Bretodeau, then moves to the chicken, and later goes to the little boy, which gives a gradually process of Bretodeau’s physical action. The movement of this long shot makes the character’s happiness much fuller. It also makes the whole picture more intimate. Compared to the earlier scene where Bretodeau eats the chicken by himself, the whole tone is different. His appearance changes from a lonely, weird, old man to a kind and loving grandfather. When Bretodeau gives away his favorite chicken breast, it symbolizes him giving his love and care.

 

Furthermore, Bretodeau’s daughter and her husband also appear at the back of this long shot, which provides more strong evidences of Bretodeau’s changes. His expression and movement are showing how differently he felt about his family. All of his big changes are the reward of that memory-filled iron box, which was found by Amélie.

 

Amélie saved him by letting him know he can still share love and enjoy the happiness of family. He won back his happiness. His world changed all because of that little box in the telephone booth, which was put there by Amélie.

 

The lens slickly switches to the third character, Amélie’s father. The overlooking coherence of long shot enhances his huge changes after he received Amélie’s “gifts.”

 

While her father standing by the taxi, he says he wants to go to the airport. This is the only line of this scene, which emphasizes her father’s decision about changing his life. Within this long shot, the background is his garden with green grasses and pretty flowers, which plainly shows that Amélie’s father has decided to change from the one who stayed in the garden all day.

 

Within the long shot, he stepped out of the fenced garden and closed the door. This moment is a sign of saying goodbye to the old tedious life. Related with several days before, Amélie’s father was no longer sullen and full of melancholy. It is the series of photos, taken by Amélie, that guide her father out of the past.

 

Although Amélie’s father still did not know who took his little dwarf to those different countries at the end, he did change towards a good direction.

 

Because of Amélie, many people’s lives changed. In addition, the magic also happened on herself.

 

While Nino rides a motorcycle carrying her, several close up shots strongly show Amélie’s changes. Because most shots are close to their faces, the expressions are visibly shown on the screen. They are holding their arms, making naughty grimaces to the lens just like two young kids; they are laughing and enjoying the happiness of love.

 

Among the entire close up shots, there is one shot more impressive than others. In that shot, the background is blurred and passing away quickly; Amélie is leaning on Nino’s back with her eyes closed. Although Nino is squinting his eyes, he still looks content and confident.

 

These two expressions have not appeared before. These are signifying of satisfaction and sense of security. Only people in love can have this peace on their faces. Because Amélie has lots of close up shots in the film before, the difference is apparent. Considering of what Amélie use to be, she is not a timid anxious girl any more. Consequently, she got her true love.

 

Amélie did not have a happy childhood. She is just a girl who could not be any more ordinary. She is shy and timid. She helped others but was still too nervous to meet the person’s eyes; she fell in love with Nino but was afraid to share her feelings with him. However, Amélie, such an common girl, changed the lives of many people around her. She did not do something huge; she just did what she could as much as possible.

 

With a series of long shots and the close up at the end, the theme of the movie has been evidently expanded: everyone has the power to change other’s lives and help others. As a reward, the benevolent person will also change in a good way.