Dites-le avec des fleurs (1974) is a sui generis film with mysterious events suspense , romance , unusual roles and fantastic elements. It starts with some black and white frames located in Germany when there takes place the Stauffemberg's July Plot, 1944, but it was a flop, and Hitler went on alive. Then , shouting : "Attention Attention. The High Command of the Wehrmacht announces. The leader lives! Hitler is not dead! Hitler is not dead! Hitler is not dead! . Later on , a German officer German carries out a massacre, killing his pregnant wife (Maria Perschy) and children. Many years later, a German au pair named Úrsula (Rocío Dúrcal) arrives at the Berger family home and takes care of the five children , all very special . For example , a son is deaf and dumb , two peculiar twins and special mention for Jean-Claude (John Moulder-Brown) , he is a a handsome young man who has his face disfigured and really marked . Their father Jaques (Fernando Rey) is obsessed with Egyptian art and pharaoh Akenathon, telling he discovered the Egyptian city of Amarna when he traveled to Egypt as an archeologist . His wife Françoise (Delphine Seyrig) takes care exclusively of the magnificent flowers in her garden and some images of carnivorous plants are shown, and insects in their deadly lure traps . But everything has changed since the arrival of Úrsula. The house is constantly watched by eight old people and there are also incidents where some of the little brothers fall unfortunately victims to mysterious accidents.
It is an outlandish film with mystery , emotion , eccentric characters and unexpected conclusion . This fantasy/mystery tale is told under view point of the young Jean Claude/John Moulder Brown who explains the twisted story to police commissioner played by Jean Becker. Begins with this programmatic text by Paul Klee, exciting in every way, following a direct access taking the viewer to the year 1944, which is experienced through black and white images . The flowery title of the film in the strictest sense of the word certainly suggests something different than one might expect . Opening credits is also cynically reminiscent of "The Flowers" and warns "Death is our eternal gardener" . Slowly but surely, a recurring nightmare with a rousing house being constantly watched by eight old people and adding some incidents where some of the children fall victim to mysterious accidents . Suspense and mystery looming for the main characters, causing rare impressions and culminating in mere paranoid delusions. Main and support cast are pretty well . Stars the Spanish singer Rocio Durcal as the beautiful and surprising ¨au pair¨ who hides dark secrets . John Moulder Brown plays well as Jean-Claude , a handsome young man complexed by a malformation he presents on his face . Fernando Rey performs adequately an absent-mindedness and amnesic man , locked in himself and with penchant for Egyptian art and Pharaoh Akenathon . His wife , Delphine Seyrig , is nice as the deranged woman who takes care exclusively of the magnificent flowers in her garden , she's a woman also locked in herself , suffering paranoia and obsessed with past nightmares . They are well accompanied by a good cast, such as : Frederic Mitterrand, Maria Perschy, and the notorious French director Jean Becker as the commissario.
It contains evocative cinematography shot on location in Donostia, San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain . Although, a perfect remastering being extremely necessary, because of the film copy is washed-out. Likewise, a stirring and sensitive musical score by composed by Claude Bolling. The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Pierre Grimblat (1922-2016) , as it has some flaws , gaps and shortcomings. He was a writer, director and producer, known for "Cent briques et des tuiles (1965) ," Lisa" (2001), "Servicio secret derice" (1961) , "Grandeur decadence" , "Slogan" , "L'empire de la nuit" , among others . Rating : 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable.
