''A Nous la Liberte'', 1931 - art by Jean-Adrien Mercier
by Movie World Posters
Title
''A Nous la Liberte'', 1931 - art by Jean-Adrien Mercier
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster
Description
A vintage French movie poster of ''A Nous la Liberte'', a French film directed by René Clair, released in 1931. The title translates to "Freedom for Us" in English. It is a classic of early French cinema and is known for its satirical and comedic take on industrialization, capitalism, and the pursuit of individual happiness.
The film tells the story of two friends, Émile and Louis, who meet while serving time in prison. After their release, they both struggle to find work in the harsh and dehumanizing world of factory labor. However, their paths diverge when Louis manages to escape from the factory and eventually becomes a successful owner of a phonograph factory, where he produces a popular line of products called "Radio-Plaisir."
Émile, on the other hand, remains trapped in the factory system, enduring monotonous and degrading work. The film contrasts the lives of the two friends as it explores themes of freedom, consumerism, and the cost of pursuing material success.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film involves a sequence where factory workers are depicted as synchronized cogs in a machine, emphasizing the dehumanizing nature of mass production and industrialization. The film also features elements of social commentary and satire, as it critiques the dehumanizing effects of modernity and the pursuit of wealth at the expense of personal freedom and happiness.
"A Nous la Liberté" is notable for its innovative use of sound and music, which were still relatively new in cinema at the time. René Clair employed music and sound effects to enhance the comedic and emotional impact of the film. The movie's soundtrack, composed by Georges Auric, is particularly memorable.
The film's satirical take on capitalism and its plea for individual freedom and happiness made it controversial upon its release, especially in the context of the Great Depression. It also faced legal challenges from the producers of the American film "Modern Times" (1936), directed by Charlie Chaplin, which had similarities in its themes and scenes. The legal dispute was eventually settled out of court.
"A Nous la Liberté" is considered a classic of early French cinema and is appreciated for its artistic and thematic contributions to film history. It continues to be studied and admired by cinephiles and scholars for its innovative storytelling and social commentary.
About the artist:
Jean-Adrien Mercier (August 12, 1899, Angers, France – May 15,1995, Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire) was a French illustrator, poster artist, and advertising designer.
He studied art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Angers and at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs (National School of Decorative Arts) in Paris in 1921. In 1924 he began working as a designer and painter of French film posters.
From 1925 through 1942, Mercier designed more than 120 movie posters, including many for leading directors such as Jean Renoir, Abel Gance, and Sacha Guitry. Collections of his work are currently held at museums and libraries in France.
Mercier's style is recognizable like a few others for its originality and formal purity. His images are almost always created with geometric shapes, stylized as if they were outlines, cut-outs of a more complex picture.
Because of their regular geometry, they almost look like images from the design of Russian Constructivism or schematic but flashy artworks of Second Futurism. The French artist uses primary colors -yellow, blue, red, but also white and black fields- on neutral backgrounds. There is order, cleanliness, essentiality. Mercier communicates in the most effective way possible: through disarming simplicity.
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Uploaded
January 28th, 2022
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