La Vie En Rose
“Oh, but Paris is not for changing planes, it is… it is for changing your outlook, for… for throwing open the windows and letting in… letting in la vie en rose.” It always sounded very romantic to me, it’s an expression I’ve heard more than once. Audrey Hepburn, the elegant figure of grace and film icon, delivered this line in the 1954 film, Sabrina. I can’t count the moments when I’ve been watching a film like this and heard that line, the one that shattered against my eardrums. “La Vie en Rose” is one of the closest ways I can describe how I see movies and how I’ve used movies to see the world. As someone who’s spent most of her time alone, I’ve always felt more comfortable and excited by the prospect of a good movie than any walk or time spent outside. It didn’t matter whether it was an action movie, thriller, murder mystery, or love story; they captivated my passion and mind with a magic that is more real than anything I’ve ever experienced.
Most who meet me quickly make the assumption that I’m a bit of an old soul, So it’s of no surprise when I discovered Elvis Presley, I just about had a seizure. I can almost see us through a crystal glass, walking towards the theater. The aroma of popcorn drifted up towards my ever cavernous eyes. The moment the room went pitch black my heart abused my chest rapidly.
My hands were shaky at best; I opted to not reach for the defrosting cherry Icee that I craved. Nothing could tear my eyes away; they were cemented onto the rocking rhinestone spirit of Baz Lurhman’s “Elvis”. Nothing could have tempted me to miss even a millisecond, I was entirely overwhelmed and enthralled by the melodies, the swift, quick movements of Austin Butler unsuppressed and jerky, the one hundred percent Elvis like movements as he shook with a husky southern voice, mirroring the icon. When I saw him in the most simple of suits; white with his red tie, the most overtaking signage of his name broadcasted on the back floor as he charged an audience with his rendition of “If I Can Dream” by Earl Brown, I started to feel the salt-tainted tears streaming down my red cheeks; red with heat from the energy that coursed through my nerves and sparked a fire that I couldn’t remember ever feeling before from a movie.
“If you could pick one movie, which one would it be? Which one is your absolute favorite?” From what I’ve seen most people either answer one of two ways. They either chirp out that one that completely overtook their senses, bringing them into the characters lives and reality of their circumstances. The others, including me, because anyone who knows me, realizes I am one of the most indecisive people of all time, say, “I don’t know, there’s too many to pick from”. While I wholeheartedly love Audrey Hepburn and her many films, including “Sabrina”, I didn’t provide the quote because it’s from my favorite film. There are hundreds of movies in my life that have honestly cracked something in my mind. They’ve enticed me to stand up, with no one in the room and act out every single line, every movement, and look that the “villain” or “hero” gave to the camera. A lot of Audrey Hepburn’s films, especially “Sabrina” gave me that. Without movies, even the worst ones with their cringey one-liners and terrible set, have become a part of my spirit. I know full well I wouldn’t be the same romantically inclined girl that day dreams every hour of the day I possibly can without them. I could not muster up the courage before opening night to drive my body forward towards the blinding light and faceless audience onto the stage.
The expression, “La Vie en Rose” means, “Life in pink” or to see life through rose coloured glasses. I don’t believe it’s necessarily meant to say that you see the world as perfectly and beautifully; that there’s nothing wrong with it. I just imagine it as a way of saying that you can see life in pink, that you can see the beauty in it. Movies are my glasses. They are how I’ve learned the difference between a toxic relationship and a healthy one, the importance of taking care of myself and my mind, and how sometimes it’s even more important to be your true self. Life is one really long movie. Sometimes there are absolutely terrible characters. The ones that make you cringe and give you goosebumps. There are some even more spectacular ones also, the people you meet as you get older and the ones that have been with you since the beginning like your mom and your friends from highschool that you couldn’t imagine not being friends with as you grow up. My movie is still only at the beginning credits. I haven’t had my first kiss, I’ve lost a couple friendships that to be quite frank, sucked. They were toxic and made me feel like I wasn’t always good enough. I’ve yelled at plenty of times, balled my eyes out even more, and learned more about myself and who I want to be along the way and I’m only at the opening act. “Oh, but Paris is not for changing planes, it is… it is for changing your outlook, for… for throwing open the windows and letting in… letting in la vie en rose.” Remember that when you sit down to watch your next movie, popcorn in hand and lights dimmed, the movies have the power to enthrall and transform you. So, throw open the windows and feel the biting breeze against your face, a life in pink could be waiting for you.