I Love You as a Crook: Dissecting the Class Divisions in Romantic Comedies by Hannah Lathrop

Hannah Lathrop

Professor Sinowitz

Tps:Romantic Comedy

25 February 2020

I Love You as a Crook: Dissecting the Class Divisions in Romantic Comedies

Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise (1932) opens to a still shot of a dingy, dark alleyway. The background consists of exposed brick, a slightly illuminated window, and a dog sniffing at trash. An average man walks from the right of the frame to grab a trash bin. As he leaves, the camera follows him, panning out to reveal the Venetian canals. We continue to follow the garbage man as he pours the bin right into his gondola, already filled with trash. He burst into a crisp a capella as he rows away. It's an intriguing introduction to a romance film; the traditionally glamorous city of Venice conflicts with the overall mundanity of trash collection.

The imagery of the opening scene sets up a contrast between two worlds: the rich and poor. A contrast that the main character, Gaston Monescu (Herbert Marshall), personifies through his alter egos. As he skates the line between elegance and crookedness, his identity alternates between the illusionary Monsieur Laval and the thief Monescu. Each identity resonates separately with the two love interests: Mariette Colet (Kay Francis) and Lily (Miriam Hopkins), respectively. However, Gaston’s duplicity of status provides the foundation of the film’s love triangle. Relationships have a tradition of being founded on common class and status. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, the similar social standings of a couple drive their relationship. Claudio and Hero, Benedick and Beatrice, Borachio and Margaret all follow the boundaries presented by their class. Lubitsch’s presentation of Gaston’s love triangle condescends the foolishness of a love that crosses social standing.

Gaston’s two love interests primarily base their relationships with him on his supposed status. Lily defines her attraction towards Gaston in terms of his criminality. For instance, when Gaston’s attention starts to falter, Lily presses him, “Darling, remember. You are Gaston Monescu. You are a crook. I want you as a crook. I love you as a crook. I worship you as a crook. Steal, swindle, rob. Oh, but don't become one of those useless, good-for-nothing gigolos” (Lubitsch). Lily accepts and loves Gaston for his true self. She specifically addresses him by his full name as a reminder to their similarities, a shared attraction to money. Thus, Lily emphasizes her love to Monescu, not Monsieur Laval.

In contrast, Gaston introduces himself to Mme. Colete under a pseudonym. The fake identity he creates to steal from her can only result in a fake relationship. Thus, the revelation of Gaston’s plan shocks Mme. Colete. However, while she hesitates when Gaston reveals his identity, she previously persuaded him not to call the police on Adolphe J. Giron (C. Aubrey Smith). Upon this hesitation, Gaston says, “I see! You have to be in the Social Register to keep out of jail. But when a man starts at the bottom and works his way up, a self-made crook, then you say, 'Call the police! Put him behind bars! Lock him up!' Very well, Madame. I am Gaston Monescu. The police will be delighted to verify my identity”(Lubitsch). The film clearly distinguishes between Gaston and Aldophe on the terms of their relation to high society. However, Gaston looks at his position with honor and is offended that Mme. Colete cannot do the same. When the lie of Monsieur Laval unravels, the relationship it created does too.

The implication that relationships subsist solely on the commonality of class conflicts with our modern sensibilities of love. One, therefore, might argue that Mme. Colete and Gaston’s love existed beyond Gaston’s appearance of class. When the illusion of Monsieur Laval was shattered, Mme. Colete hesitates, but Gaston’s true identity does not entirely dissuade her from wanting him. So, was what she felt real? Gaston tells Mme. Colete, “If you should wake out of your dreams and hear a knock, and the door opens, and there instead of a maid with a breakfast tray stands a policeman with a warrant, then you'll be glad you are alone“ (Lubitsch). The dream-like relationship between Gaston and Mme. Colete could not exist. The two characters share a real moment among the lies and deceit. However, the sincerity of Gaston’s feelings is fleeting.

In the final scene of the film, Gaston and Lily make their getaway in the back of a taxi. The couple has little room to move in the frame. While they are physically close, the actors’ body language portrays an emotional distance between the characters. A nervousness surrounds Gaston as he fidgets with his hands. In contrast, Lily crosses her arms, closing her body off. Gaston searches his pockets in confusion for Mme. Colete’s pearl necklace; however, Lily has already taken it. She coyly removes it from her coat and then one-ups herself, taking out the 125,000-franc handbag. Gaston, not to be upstaged, has taken the 100,000 francs from Lily’s purse. In this sequence, the two characters fully acknowledge each other, making eye contact for the first time in the scene. Lily’s body language and expression completely change from anger to joy as she proclaims “Gaston!” and embraces him. The pick-pocketing scene plays off like a magician's trick. All the tension in the cab disappears at the expense of Mme. Colete. The money, the pearl necklace, the handbag represents the physical cost of Mme. Colete’s affections. However, despite scamming Mme. Colete, we watch Lily and Gaston receive their happy ending. Thus, the film tells the audience to accept Lily and Gaston’s relationship without regard to Mme. Colete.

In conclusion, Much Ado established a precedent wherein character relations depend on power and class. While the class structure in Much Ado plays a background role in the plot, the characters in Trouble in Paradise frequently reference their position and stature often in relation to each other. Lily emphasizes her attraction to Gaston’s skill as a thief. In contrast, Mme. Colete’s relationship fails upon the reveal of Gaston’s identity. While one fails, the other succeeds. Thus, the duplicity between Monescu and Laval, reveal a natural order to relationships. 

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Works Cited

Lubitsch, Ernst, director. Trouble in Paradise. Paramount Pictures, 1932.

Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Washington Square Press, 2004.