I'll leave the criticism/review of this film to others. I didn't really follow the plot which is rare for me; instead, I was more interested in the music.
Of course watching Poitier and Newman fake their way through the music performance sections was of interest. And they did manage to fake it with some success. You can see that Martin Ritt, the director, kept those shots to a minimum, especially when Louis Armstrong was in the house playing with them. Otherwise, too long of a shot of either Newman or Poitier playing would reveal their amateur ability.
Armstrong was great in the later scene when his band "comes marching in" and he challenges the soloists in Newman's band to a playoff. And that scene was truly the best, both musically and otherwise in the film. The vitality and musical charm of that scene was great.
One note about the storyline and the racial aspects that carried on between the characters, especially Poitier and Carroll, is important for several reasons. As others have said here, the Civil Rights movement in the US was surging ahead, so the significance of the story in the film rings true and is important.
But no one seems to have mentioned the fact that Louis Armstrong was also, if not more than any other musician in mid-20th century America, an important victim of racial bias in the US during his career. Go listen to him sing "Black and Blue" and you'll get the idea. To see him here in Paris, where race was not a factor, only reinforces the historical rejection by many in America and the acceptance by many in Europe of jazz and African-Americans during this time.
The title of this film, "Paris Blues" is more than just a comment about music.
Of course watching Poitier and Newman fake their way through the music performance sections was of interest. And they did manage to fake it with some success. You can see that Martin Ritt, the director, kept those shots to a minimum, especially when Louis Armstrong was in the house playing with them. Otherwise, too long of a shot of either Newman or Poitier playing would reveal their amateur ability.
Armstrong was great in the later scene when his band "comes marching in" and he challenges the soloists in Newman's band to a playoff. And that scene was truly the best, both musically and otherwise in the film. The vitality and musical charm of that scene was great.
One note about the storyline and the racial aspects that carried on between the characters, especially Poitier and Carroll, is important for several reasons. As others have said here, the Civil Rights movement in the US was surging ahead, so the significance of the story in the film rings true and is important.
But no one seems to have mentioned the fact that Louis Armstrong was also, if not more than any other musician in mid-20th century America, an important victim of racial bias in the US during his career. Go listen to him sing "Black and Blue" and you'll get the idea. To see him here in Paris, where race was not a factor, only reinforces the historical rejection by many in America and the acceptance by many in Europe of jazz and African-Americans during this time.
The title of this film, "Paris Blues" is more than just a comment about music.