Neapolitan director Pietro Marcello, who made the transition from high-profile docs to fiction together with his Naples-set 2019 adaptation of Jack London’s Martin Eden – that made a splash on the worldwide art-house scene – has now tackled a France-set story impressed by a Russian novel in his new movie “Scarlet” (see overview) that mixes fable, musical, historic and magical realism components.
The pic’s central character is Juliette, performed by promising newcomer Juliette Jouan, an orphan woman raised by a neighborhood of girls and by her father Raphaël, a burly soldier who returned from the First World Struggle to seek out that his adored spouse after giving delivery had handed away.
Marcello spoke to Selection about what he calls his first ‘female’ movie. Excerpts.
There is a sturdy sense of matriarchy on this movie. You’ve underlined its female facet.
I’ve at all times made movies which can be fairly masculine. “Martin Eden” actually was. This time I’ve made what I name a female movie. After all there is a sturdy father determine, Raphaël. After which there is a extra fashionable man [played by Louis Garrel] whom Juliette falls in love with. However after she cures him, he leaves. And Juliette stays, as does her independence. Life goes on. I believe that with this movie I’ve killed prince charming. And I’ve accomplished that as a result of she is surrounded by girls.
It’s your first French movie. What was it like making a movie in France and in French?
My daughter moved to Paris along with her mom, so I adopted simply to to be near her. I had simply completed “Martin Eden” and producer Charles Gillibert proposed I make a movie impressed by Alexander Grin’s “Scarlet Sails.” I fell in love with the novel. Six months later I discovered myself capturing “Scarlet” in Picardie. It was clearly an journey. In Italy I’ve a community of acquaintances within the movie commerce. I do know whom to show to for what I would like. Whereas in France I knew no one. And I didn’t communicate a phrase of French. By step by step, I bought into it. I entrusted myself to my producer, let go of my fears and I simply launched myself.
Speak to me about working with Oscar-winning composer Gabriel Yared.
Working with Yared was a utterly new and, I have to say, elementary expertise. Gabriel accompanied the challenge from the very starting and was near me. He is a rare man, a nice up to date composer with whom I shared every part and he was one of the essential guides of this work, a true reference. Due to him I discovered so many issues and I can solely thank him for all that he was in a position to give to me and to the movie.
And along with your DP Marco Graziaplena.
Because it’s a interval piece we used hand-held digital camera. I like being behind the digital camera, so we used two cameras, which created a counterpoint. We had been in a state of grace. I additionally actually loved working with my editor, Carole Le Page who drastically contributed to the movie along with her cleared eyed sensibility.
It appears like there was sturdy sense of neighborhood on set
That is what I’m keen about. Initially we have to return to being a neighborhood, to being collectively and discovering a raison d’être for what we do. I’m not a director who is obsessed together with his profession. I’m not in competitors with others, simply with myself.
