Pietro Marcello on Why Directors’ Fortnight Opener ‘Scarlet’ is a Feminine Film
variety.comNick Vivarelli International CorrespondentNeapolitan director Pietro Marcello, who made the transition from high-profile docs to fiction with his Naples-set 2019 adaptation of Jack London’s Martin Eden – that made a splash on the international art-house scene – has now tackled a France-set tale inspired by a Russian novel in his new film “Scarlet” (see review) that mixes fable, musical, historical and magical realism elements.The pic’s central character is Juliette, played by promising newcomer Juliette Jouan, an orphan girl raised by a community of women and by her father Raphaël, a burly soldier who returned from the First World War to find that his adored wife after giving birth had passed away.
Marcello spoke to Variety about what he calls his first ‘feminine’ film. Excerpts.I’ve always made films that are quite masculine. “Martin Eden” certainly was.
This time I’ve made what I call a feminine film. Of course there is a strong father figure, Raphaël. And then there is a more modern man [played by Louis Garrel] whom Juliette falls in love with.
But after she cures him, he leaves. And Juliette stays, as does her independence. Life goes on. I think that with this film I’ve killed prince charming.
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