Au Bonheur des Dames
dir. Julien Duvivier · 1930
Feature
Immigrant Experience
Mood
Melancholic / Romantic
Look
muted tones with a focus on bustling Parisian life
Structure
linear progression with character-driven vignettes
Plot
Denise, an orphaned girl, moves to Paris where she hopes to find work at her uncle's store. But the glamorous department store 'Aux Bonheur des Dames' across the street crunches all the little businesses around. She finds a position there.
Why watch
Denise arrives in Paris, filled with hope and ambition, only to find herself working in a department store that threatens her uncle's small business. As she navigates the complexities of love and ambition amidst the bustling city, the film captures the bittersweet nature of her journey. Watching it feels like wandering through a nostalgic Parisian street, where every corner holds a story of dreams and disappointments.
Talking points
- the impact of capitalism on personal relationships
- the evolution of gender roles in the workplace
- the tension between tradition and modernity
- the emotional toll of ambition
Cultural context
the rise of consumer culture in the 1930sthe impact of urbanization on small businessesthe role of women in the workforceclass disparities in early 20th-century France