“No one believes in magic anymore:” In the devastating aftermath of World War I, veteran Raphaël (Raphaël Thiéry) returns home and discovers that not only has he been widowed, but he is the father to an infant girl, Juliette (Juliette Jouan). In the years that follow, Juliette is raised by her father in rural Normandy, growing into a lonely young girl who seeks refuge in her passion for singing. One day, Juliette meets a witch who prophesizes that one day scarlet sails will whisk her away from her secluded village. Thus, the stage is set for “Scarlet,” the latest film of acclaimed director Pietro Marcello. The backdrop of this lyrical fable traces Juliette’s life and the period of great invention and catastrophe that marked the inter-war period in Europe, promising to weave together music and fantasy, history and folklore, realist drama and ethereal romance while telling the story of one young woman’s emancipation.
Italian director Pietro Marcello has already wowed audiences with “Martin Eden,” loosely based off the Jack London novel of the same name, that premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019. Like the forthcoming “Scarlet,” “Martin Eden” also focused on the fictional life of one character to explore 20th century Europe, with Italy as the chosen backdrop. Rounding out the cast of “Scarlet” is Louis Garrel, best known for his roles in “The Dreamers” and “Redoubtable,” the latter in which he played famed director Jean-Luc Godard.
Courtesy of Kino Lorber, “Scarlet” opens at New York’s Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Center on Friday, June 9, and will expand to other major cities nationally in June and July.