Medieval Paris in Film

From our reading of Victor Hugo we learned that nineteenth century French authors idealized Medieval Paris, longing for a more simple, pure and picturesque time. In the twentieth century, Medieval Paris has often been the setting for films, including several versions of Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". There are two early film versions of the novel that do a great job of recreating the sights of Medieval Paris, especially the enormous architetcure of Notre Dame and the teeming crowds of the period.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (United States, 1923)
This is the first film version starring the famous pioneer of special effects make-up "man of a thousand faces" Lon Chaney.

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (United States, 1939)

This is the second film version (and in my opinion the BEST) starring the great English actor Charles Laughton (who had won an Oscar for playing King Henry VIII in 1934) and Irish/American actress Maureen O'Hara.