Montparnasse (1929): A Quiet Jaunt Through Old Paris 🚶‍♀️

Alright, so Montparnasse from 1929? Look, if you’re looking for a plot or anything remotely fast-paced, just skip it. Seriously, go watch something else. But if you have even a tiny bit of curiosity about how Paris felt almost a hundred years ago, or if you just appreciate film as a window, then yeah, give it a shot. It’s for the patient folks, the art history nerds, and maybe anyone who loves old travelogues. Everyone else? Probably gonna hate it, or fall asleep. 😴

This film is a funny thing. It’s basically just Eugene Deslaw pointing a camera at Montparnasse. No real story, just moments. You get these glimpses of the district, and it’s kinda cool how it makes you feel like you’re just walking along with him.

It opens up on these art galleries and exhibitions, showing you how much this place was about *making* things. The whole area just oozes creativity, you can almost smell the paint.

And then there’s the famous people bits. Seeing Fujita, the painter, just hanging around, doing his thing. It’s a very casual, almost accidental celebrity spotting. Like, oh, there he is.

But the real gem, for me anyway, is Luis Buñuel. He’s just sitting there on a café terrace. And what’s he doing? 👀 He’s totally eying the legs of women walking by. It’s such a wonderfully human, slightly *pervy* detail. It makes him feel so real, not just some name in a history book. That shot alone makes you think, 'Okay, this is what it was actually like.'

Then you see the three Italian futurists—Marinetti, Prampolini, Russolo. They look so serious, probably talking about destroying the past or something. It’s a very specific snapshot of an artistic moment.

It’s not all high art, though. The film does a pretty good job of showing the everyday hustle. You see the markets, the flea markets. People just going about their day.

There are these kids, these little brats, watching a street circus show. They’re all mesmerized, just like kids anywhere. It's a nice little reminder that some things really don't change much.

And then, my favorite part, the goats. 🐐 Yes, actual goats. Just crossing the street. Like it's totally normal. It's such an unexpected moment that it kinda cracks you up. You wouldn’t see that in modern Paris, would you?

The film doesn’t try to make a big deal out of anything. It just shows you. The camera work, for the time, feels pretty modern sometimes. It moves around, not just fixed shots. It’s *observing* rather than staging.

You finish up the tour with a coffee at the Rotonde or the Sélect. It’s like the film is giving you a little nod, saying, 'Here, have a seat, take it all in.' It feels like a genuine invitation.

This film is a quiet experience. It’s not trying to blow your mind. It’s just showing you a slice of time that’s long gone, but still kinda there if you look close enough. It kinda just *is*.

Didja notice?

• The weird, almost dizzying shots of buildings. Like the camera was attached to a kite.
• How many hats everyone wore! Seriously, hats everywhere.
• The contrast between the fancy galleries and the busy, almost chaotic market scenes.
• The way the light hits some of the streets. It’s really pretty in a simple way.
• The silent film aspect here actually works. No dialogue needed, just the buzz of the city.