'Every Time the Curtain Goes Up'

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2013)

Oliver Dahan was very intentional throughout his directing of La Vie en Rose. His depiction of Edith Piaf purposely provokes such a strong connection to the artist by showing her intense and emotional life journey. By setting this sort of context, the audience can more easily relate to Piaf, therefore a stronger appreciation based is formed. Many points throughout the movie help create this connection to her art. Specifically, Piaf's love for singing is truly inspirational and captivating. By forcing herself to finish songs despite her health risks, Edith demonstrates a desperation to sing, reminding the viewers of the true meaning behind her nickname as "the little sparrow", flashing back to images of a practically mute little girl who would shine through with her singing voice. Edith's voice is really the only thing she feels she has to offer. Her background story and dedication to her dream provokes a massive appreciation for her work. Not only does Dahan make that evident in his depiction of her childhood, her attachment to singing carries on throughout her aging process to the point where she has almost exhausted her career by giving too much. This context gives the audience a great appreciation for her songs, seeing that she gives all she has in every performance. That is one of the most important messages portrayed throughout La Vie en Rose; the point that Edith Piaf dedicates her life to her dream and does everything she can to not fall short of the expectations from her audience. Edith Piaf gives her whole heart in every performance, so La Vie en Rose examines the reasoning behind her passion. Other moments that sparked admiration for her work is found through the different emotions sung throughout the movie. For instance, her performance when Marcel is in the crowd is very joyful in comparison to the performance after his death, which captures her pain in a very intense way. La Vie en Rose gives the context as to where she draws her emotion from on stage.
La Vie en Rose purposely shows Edith Piaf's background to emphasize her many personal triumphs. The occupations of her parents and grandmother, as well as living situations demonstrates a very unstable environment. Showing that she was born into a low class family proves that she overcame a great deal before becoming such a widely known singer. Although her transition from a low social class to a famous woman demonstrates a great paradox, it also adds a significant amount of meaning behind her story. Her preparation and training leading up is intense and brutal. In making the movie, Dahan purposely shows that her background shapes her love for singing. It is her comfort, joy, and reason for her existence. Without her voice, Edith feels she has nothing. That desperation to hold on to her one true love connects with audiences, therefore creating the universal appeal to her songs. From laughing and singing in the tub as a child, to her last performance as a frail and aged woman, La Vie en Rose identifies the reasons why Piaf gives her soul in every song. The emphasis on the term "the little sparrow" is also very crucial in this movie. The term takes Edith's story full circle. Every time she sings, you see the same facial expression you see her wear as a child, the face of dedication. It suggests she is holding onto a very precious gift. It is a desperation to hold onto her dreams, a desperation that she never loses, also seen in her determination to sing in Olympia. This expression is one that keeps the universe so captivated in what she has to offer.
Edith Piaf is perfectly summed up during her interview on the shoreline. When asked her favorite career moment, she replies "every time the curtain goes up". La Vie en Rose proves that, for Edith Piaf, a life without song is no life at all.