Boulevard Saint Germain – The More things change?

Some things have changed since the epoch in the video. For one, the cast of characters has changed as a matter of course. Intellectual giants of the size of Jean Paul Sartre performed their part of the plot and today it is a more complex scene on St. Germain. Parts of Boulevard Saint Germain, a few intimidatingly chic cafes are still the preferred haunts of intellectuals but globalisation and immigration have forced to make it open to new, not always French, actors. (take Ralph Lauren and Malboro classics for instance) If the faces and stores on St Germain are somewhat indicative of broader trends in French society – it seems to be a rapidly evolving one. Well, I could be wrong in my assessment – after all, was it not a French philosopher who said the more things change, the more the remain the same?