So many films emerge from the Cannes Film Festival and we’re all the better for it. Back in 2020, Italian filmmaker Pietro Marcello wowed audiences and critics with his prize-winning Martin Eden. He’s bound to do the same with Scarlet, a powerful and oftentimes ethereal story that had its world premiere as the Opening Film of the 2022 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. His moving new work hits New York’s Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center on Friday, June 9, expanding to other major cities nationwide in June and July.
Much like Johnny Depp’s new Cannes film swept audiences away this year, Scarlet generated buzz last year. It stars Raphaël Thiéry, Louis Garrel and newcomer Juliette Jouan. The story revolves around WWI vet Raphaël (Thiéry), who returns from the frontlines only to find himself a widower, and father to an infant daughter. He raises the child, Juliette (Jouan), in Normandy, but her loneliness seems all-encompassing. Juliette is loves to sing and hopes for greater possibilities in her life. That hope comes in the form of a witch, perhaps, who promises “scarlet sails will one day take her away from her village.” How nice that sounds.
It’s one of the many memorable plot points in Scarlet. The director shared more about the film in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.
An Enchanting Tale All Around
To understand the depth and richness of Scarlet, one must know more about director Pietro Marcello. A rare talent with exceptional cinematic execution, Scarlet is a passionate period fable based on a treasured 1923 novella, Scarlet Sails, by Russian writer Alexander Grin.
“The starting point, really — the main trigger — was the book itself,” explained Marcello. “I was very drawn to the parental thing. I have a daughter, so I was immediately thinking of the male character and his relationship to the daughter. But in terms of that particular moment in my life, I found myself in France for family matters, and it was at the very start of the pandemic. I was there for my daughter and read this book, which was given to me to read by the French producer. To me, this has always been a very personal film.”
The director’s strong emotional connection to the story stands out. Scarlet is as sublime as it is mesmerizing. It’s also so very different than the other films Marcello made. “It’s very much a film about caring for others,” he noted.
One noteworthy plot point is young Juliette meeting a witch in the forest. This gives her hope for a different kind of future. Can she truly leave her village? Suddenly, a confident young pilot (Louis Garrel) falls from the sky — literally. Naturally, Juliette never stops believing in the witch’s prophecy. Audiences experience a 20-year journey with Juliette and the tale is rich with music, fantasy, history, and folklore.
Pietro Marcello Says Scarlet Is a Feminine Film
When asked if his film is “feminist,” Marcello said he actually prefers to think of it as a “feminine film.” Much in the same way most of his previous films were masculine, here the director swings the creative pendulum in the other direction. Some may view it as an anti-patriarchal film, but at its core it’s a magical realist drama.
“This was the first time for me working in another country, you know, although France is very culturally to Italy, it’s still very different,” noted Marcello. “I met with many different actresses in casting the part, but I ended up finding Juliette through an open call in a where I saw more than 1,000 actresses. It was very important for me to find the right person because each actor carries their own specific attitude toward living in the world.”
Unsurprisingly, considering the director’s vision and career achievements, he admitted that the outing brought out, “the competitive aspect of me, although I’m not a particularly competitive person.” That determination shines throughout Scarlet.
As for transforming Alexander Grin’s exceptional book effectively, it may have felt daunting, but Marcello was up for challenge. He explained:
You know, transporting a novel, making it modern, is interesting. The novel tells a story that takes place in a very specific historic period in our film. We adapted that to make it more modern. I feel positive that in America, like Italia, if you’re more informed, you bring a sense of care to the story.
“This is a universal story,” added Marcello, “one that could have been told in the United States as well as Italy. It deals with the kind of archetypes that are same in other stories. I’m really interested in the essence of a film. That’s what I hoped to create here.”
Scarlet, presented by Kino Lorber, opens at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in New York City on Friday, June 9. It expands to other major cities nationwide in June and July.
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