Amélie (Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet: An Analysis by Pablo González

I remember walking on the streets of Malaga, Spain as the vivid and distinguishably European soundtrack of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film Amélie infiltrated my ears. The air was crisp and fresh, and little did I know I was associating the music of one of my favorite films to a family vacation that felt like it belonged in the world of Amélie; Or perhaps I was being dramatic. Visually and sonically, Amélie managed to find a way to break the barriers of visual storytelling. Through the use of color and sound, Amélie is a film that encompasses the quintessence of a quirky, innocent, and oddly enchanting young girl named Amélie.

The color usage in Amélie is perhaps the films’ most unique and significant quality. Unlike traditional blockbuster films such as Transformers, which seem to ignore the importance of color in visual storytelling by over-saturating and exhausting the audience with a plethora of unnecessary colors, Amélie reserves a symbolic and visual purpose to nearly every color. Set in Paris, France, Amélie follows the life of a young girl on a quest to make the world of those around her better after experiencing a catharsis. The film is represented in a filter of hues unlike those you see in the real world. Green, yellow, and red inundate nearly every object or thing, such as the sky or even Amélie herself. It is easy to argue that perhaps the colors aid in the visual continuity of the film. There is virtually no blue used in the film, and when it is used, that means Jeunet wants the viewer to look at something specific. To someone unaware of the carefully thought out palette, this could seem as though it were a mistake, or perhaps be the result of a faulty film camera. This, however, is not the case. The complexity of Jeunet’s palette carries symbolism that is evident in the character, Amélie. In the film, red is mainly used when she is near her home, alluding to innocence, childhood, passion, and lovable persona. The opening montage of the film shows a close up shot of Amélie with raspberries on her fingers, playfully biting them off as if they were her nails. This could perhaps foreshadow the eventual loss of innocence Amélie experiences following the death of her mother. Green, another prominent color in the film, is associated to moments of tranquility and serenity. In moments of dire distress, Amélie is oddly portrayed in hues of green, to illustrate Amélie’s composure and passive state of mind, despite what is going on around her. This can allude to the color of green in nature, which is commonly associated to the peaceful color that fills gardens and forests around the world. Yellow, the third main color used in the film, is associated to intense moments of happiness, thrills, and in many ways, the future. The combination of these colors reinforces the mise en scène of this film in the most beautiful ways.

Yann Tiersen’s scoring of the film marks as extremely brilliant and fitting for any person viewing the film. The carefully composed piano chords and arpeggios formulate the spontaneous and jumpy personality that Amélie encompasses, in addition to aiding the narrative structure. The use of notable French instruments such as the accordion give the film “clothing” to what was once a bare body. The music perfectly illustrates the tone and style of the film by incorporating a variety of unique and oddly sounding instruments. If listened carefully, perhaps even the music of Amélie has its own selection of vivid colors.

As I stared out into the blue skies of the small, seaside city of Malaga, Spain, with the soundtrack of Amélie entering my ears, I realized that perhaps I was not in Spain after all. Both visually and sonically, Amélie has the power to transport the audience into the picturesque and nostalgic life of Amélie Poulain in Paris, France. It turns out, I was not being dramatic. Perhaps those who watch really do take part in the world of Amélie.