An American In Paris is a simple love story at heart, embellished with lavish sets, baronial dance sequences, comedic interludes and grandiose music. It is one of the finest musicals ever made, featuring the marvelous talent of Gene Kelly and newcomer Leslie Caron, along with the voice of Georges Guetary and the piano skills of Oscar Levant. Heartrending romance is illustrated through elaborate musical sequences that top nearly everything that came before it, and although considered an upset, An American in Paris won the Best Picture Oscar for 1951. Even more incredulous is that the following year Singin’ in the Rain was released, and failed to even receive a Best Picture nomination.

　　 In Paris in 1945, . Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) stays on to live out his dream of being a painter. His apartment consists of entirely collapsible furniture, and although he rarely sells his works, and is therefore constantly broke, he knows everyone on the block and can always find time to rejoice. His good friend Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), a concert pianist, frequently joins him in the nearby café for some hearty song and dance, and Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary), a well-to-do nightclub singer, stops by to partake in the festivities.

　　 While Adam wiles away the days dreaming about monumental concert performances, Henri prepares for a trip to New York with his fiancée, Lise (Leslie Caron, introduced with an impressive collage of risqué ballet routines). Jerry is spotted by a wealthy sponser (Nina Foch), （英文影评）who is interested in more than just promoting his artwork and setting up his first exhibition, but he is infatuated with a young shop girl who he noticed at a restaurant. The catch is that the girl is the very same Lise who is engaged to Henri!

　　 There are no clear-cut villains in this light-hearted musical, but with the introduction of an occasionally hilarious and oftentimes tear-jerking love triangle, someone has to lose out. The problem is that each of the three main characters are clearly protagonists, so ultimately Lise feels like the malefactor, gaily leading Jerry on. To add to the promotion of three positive leads is that the film opens with a narration by each one separately.

　　 The story is used almost entirely to transition from one George Gershwin song to the next and while few are positively unforgettable, the dance sequences are absolutely spectacular. Atmospheric and colorful, the enormous end sequence for the film, which makes use of huge sets built to represent various French impressionist painters, showcases an entire movie’s worth of love and romance. Beautifully choreographed by Kelly himself, all of the dancing is ambitious and powerful. Expressing a love story through music and dancing has never looked so agile and bold, and An American in Paris does it all with regal splendor.