Juliette ou La clef des songes

Juliette or the Key of Dreams is seldom mentioned in discussion of Marcel Carne's filmography. However, the film works as an attempt to make a modern, adult fairy tale. One of the other reviewers referenced Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, which is a fair comparison. True, Juliette is not in the same league as the Cocteau film, but, then, few films are.

The film begins in the real world. Michel is in prison. At first, the viewer is uncertain of his crime. What is clear is that he is lonely and heartbroken. One of the other prisoners makes the comment that he could escape in his dreams. This is what Michel does. Most of what follows is one long dream. Michel is searching for his love Juliette. He goes to a village of forgetfulness. Everyone who resides in the village eventually loses his or her memory. Juliette has lost hers as well, but something stirs in her when she sees Michel. Unfortunately, a rich count who resides in an empty castle also has eyes for Juliette. In other words the viewer is given a hero, a quest, a princess, a villain, and a castle, the items of a fairy tale.

Juliette or The Key of Dreams contains some great scenes. One of these is a celebration where fortune tellers offer to read the villagers' pasts. A salesman sells mementos from vacations never taken and memories never made. As the film goes on, the viewer realizes that, by dreaming, Michel is not just trying to escape from prison but also to escape from the entire circumstances that separated Juliette from him. Michel's dream is much brighter than his reality, but, of course, no one can dream forever.

Juliette or the Key of Dreams should be better known. It features an intriguing premise, good actors, and a moving ending. Pleasant, that describes the whole viewing experience.

6 Stars NOT because I don't think it's good, or even that I dislike it. This is just not my kind of movie. It tells a fantasy story in the style of poetic realism and it's very effective. Gérard Philipe is a perfect Michel---the sensitive, soulful expression, handsome face, slight build. Deservedly regarded as one of the great stars of French Cinema.

Michel has robbed his employer for money to court the woman he desires (Juliette). Now in prison, he dreams of an alternate world in an unknown town where he finds Juliette, but also her current suitor, a wealthy man she is about to marry. Devastated, he wakes from the dream, but all is not lost it seems. More a Fairy Tale than a romance, as Michel escapes into dream fantasy to escape reality. For some, fantasy is preferable to real life. Based on a well-known play, directed by Marcel Carné and released in 1951. There is also an operatic version by Bohuslav Martinu.

It is black and white film, with beautiful crystal clear camera work. The story is told in a fluent and precise way, using the 19th. century romantic style of story telling. The film, although being more of a classic love story, resents the influence of the surrealism movement of the French movie industry of the 50's. The solution for the problems of the character in the plot, is like his dreaming, a shining dream.

Second effort in Carné 's second career,this movie is all the same superior to the mediocre "la Marie du port" released the precedent year. At first sight,"Juliette" appears as a continuation of the ambitious (and highly successful)1936-1946 period.The scenes in jail use almost the same thud in the soundtrack as in "le jour se lève" ;it is a return to the fantastic which Carné broached in "les visiteurs du soir" .And the dreams of faraway islands ("Quai des brumes" ) in the sun have been replaced by pure dreams to escape the harsh reality.... ...which shows a strong influence of Henry Hathaway's "Peter Ibbetson" (1935).Both are technically and visually splendid but lack true emotion.In spite of Gerard Philippe 's intense performance,it does not always work,but when it odes ,it rises the film above Carné's post "portes de la nuit" production:the village where the inhabitants have no more memories,and of course do not know how they lost them.So they try to appropriate the others' ones,here the hero Michel's.Michel is in search of Juliette (Suzanne Cloutier,who was Welles's Desdemona in "Othello"),but for these guys the girl may be their daughter or wife ,a grave or the name of a boat.There are other strong scenes in the forest where dancers are waltzing while a fortune-teller tells ... only the past.

On the other hand ,all that concerns the "prince " and the hints at Perrault's fairytale "the blue beard" are less successful:Carné probably loved Cocteau's "la Belle et la Bete" (1946) and the poet's influence can be felt in Trauner's film set.And Carné and his playwright borrow from Fritz Lang too:the last forbidden door was already used two years before in "secret beyond the door" .

That makes a big difference with,say,"les enfants du paradis":nothing predated what would become the beloved film of the French cinema.During his heyday,Carne did influence the others ,(for instance ,"les visiteurs du soir"paved a reliable way for Delannoy-Cocteau's "l'eternel retour")in 1950 he was influenced by them.

The movie has a strange structure which recalls another Lang (again!) work,"the woman in the window" (1944):reality (10 min),then a long dream,and return to reality for the last fifteen minutes where we meet again two characters of the dream.One should note that in the dream,the events that lead Michel to jail are told to the audience ,but the connection reality/fantasizing is not very obvious and when it is ,it often verges on childish symbolism.

Should appeal to offbeat works buffs,and of course to Carné's fans.But might bore the others.

A fairy tale. It is the must simple verdict. A poem. Gerard Philipe and his parteners. In essence, expression of the vision and genius of Marcel Carne. In one of beautiful forms. A love story. But, more important, the translation of the sensitivity of a world. A delicate portrait of a fascinating way to discover and define the life and sacrifice.