Get ready to be transported to rural France after the First World War in Pietro Marcello’s latest film, Scarlet (L’Envol). Originally premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, this period drama tells the story of family, small-town politics, and romance that spans over a decade.
The film follows Raphaël, played by Raphaël Thiéry, who returns from war to find his wife has passed away, leaving their daughter Juliette in the care of farmer Adeline, played by Noémie Lvovsky. Juliette grows up close to her father, but their unconventional family is ostracized by many in the community, making Juliette a bit of a loner. However, her happy-go-lucky personality shines through, especially when a local woman predicts that “scarlet sails” will one day take her away from the village.
Scarlet is a loose adaptation of Soviet author Alexander Grin’s novel, Scarlet Sails. While the film’s many parts may not always fit together perfectly, each one is admirable and enjoyable in its own way. Marcello sets the scene using real archive images of Armistice Day in the Bay of the Somme, and the casting of Raphaël Thiéry is key to the emotional heft of the early scenes.
Once Juliette begins her path to true love, she’s played by magnetic newcomer Juliette Jouan. The film presents her as an unconventional pastoral princess, singing freely and bathing in the local lake like a siren. But there’s no dark side to this mermaid, and her sunny outlook is echoed by the film’s ultimately optimistic tone.
The most charming and humorous part of the film is what director Marcello calls the “Matriarchal community of outcasts.” Lvovsky is tremendous as their leader, Adeline, who is blunt, witty, principled, caring, and generally dismissive of men outside of the small community they’ve formed with the blacksmith’s family. Adeline also tells fortunes and schools the young girls in the powers of prediction, leading locals to brand them witches.
Scarlet’s tonal shifts may not win over everyone, but if you roll with the changes, it’s a decorative and entertaining watch that recalls everything from Jean de Florette to The Princess Bride. Don’t miss the release of Scarlet (L’Envol) in theaters on June 9, 2023, distributed by Kino Lorber.
