I purchased this movie 15 years ago. It was expensive and worth every dollar. I feel that this movie is a masterpiece. The weaving of the story lines were magnificent as it showed the interconnectedness of people and their common ground, namely love. Piaf's intensity of loving was reflected by her intense, child like wonder in her spiritual beliefs. One of the things I adore about Claude Lalouch is his depiction of the complexity of human emotions. The film captured the times. In these times, we also must remember that love is the best spell against hatred. Love is what fuels the fire to go on fearlessly in times of horror. He captures this remarkably well. I refuse to intellectually dissect this movie as it means too much to my heart. As a painter, I judge a film on what the piece does for me emotionally. For me this film is a song of the heart.

At first sight, Lelouch is a pretentious character making stupid movies but, hopefully, there is a film starting from which you fell in love with the man and his way of filming, this film might be "un homme et une femme", "tout ca pour ca" or "les uns et les autres" but it can as well be this one. Lelouch takes the story in the most anti-Hollywood way as possible. We are quite far from the films which try to recall the legends of the great human beings and to explain their great geniuses with great sounds and filming effects. Lelouch makes a film as realistic as a movie can be. Of course, Lelouch proposes an agreement, you accept is naive-concrete way of doing things and he will take you back to the 40's and, you will met both Cerdan and Piaf. The film is an invitation that you wish never to finish. The actors are simply incredible, Evelyne Bouix never acted so good, Jean Bouise is, as always, fantastic etc. Certainly, the suicide of Dewaere influenced Lelouch so to make a masterpiece and he did it.

Inevitably having seen 'La vie en rose' I will want to draw conclusions between these two films. 'La vie en rose' is a film that's nicely packaged. It resembles most bio-pics with just slight deviations from the formula which are milady interesting. As a film it faithfully uses common techniques whilst adhering to a strict sense of reality.

Now for Marcel and Edith. Like another reviewer pointed out this film is an invitation into a different world. The camera twists spins pans and hovers through this world. Edith moves away from the microphone singing yet we still hear her voice. Lelouch interposes a second story unrelated to Ediths life. Lelouch exchanges strict adherence to reality for a dream like flow. This could be interpreted by less open-minded people as amateurish filming, as I can see it has by another reviewer who unfailing pointed out the boxing scenes as I knew some fool would.

Let's not forget we are watching the 7th art here. We have the choice between a faithful somewhat lifeless bio-pic or a film that explores the boundaries of film as an art form. I think the latter was more rewarding.

There is one scene almost identical in both films, when Marcel & Edith have their first date and eat pastrami. Lelouch's interpretation is the one full of charm the other well, it's charmless.