Running Time: 106 Minutes
Starring: Amélie Daure, Anne-Sophie Charron, Stefano Cassetti, Patricia Barzyk, Aurélia Mengin, Emmanuel Bonami
Making her sophomore feature, writer/director Aurélia Mengin crafts a work that resembles if Nicolas Winding-Refn lit a David Lynch-inspired work. Scarlet Blue begins with a woman in a fascinating position, as she is out of consciousness while hooked up to a machine. Keeping watch over her is Léandro Lecreulx (Stefano Cassetti), a healer who lives an isolated life practicing hypnosis. As he tells the woman to awaken, she is informed that progress has been made with her healing. Many questions arise from this curious opening that firmly holds audiences attention.
The woman is Alter (a dual role shared by Amélie Daure and Anne-Sophie Charron), a forty-year-old who is suffering from depression and schizophrenia, while lacking in communication with her mother. She has consulted the healer following a suicide attempt, with each session resulting in a deeper dive into Alter's unconscious self to uncover her deepest fear. With a Polaroid camera to take photos before and after each crisis, she attempts to try piecing together her memory loss puzzle.
To capture the schizophrenia of Alter, Mengin makes the intriguing decision to have this single character portrayed by two actresses. This choice allows the film to approach its lead character from two different sides, as Amélie Daure reflects the grounded side who is connected to reality, while Anne-Sophie Charron depicts the schizophrenic double which is rooted in hallucinations, nightmares, and primal urges. The lines are blurred once the performers are made-up and in costume, as it is difficult to tell apart this effective pair, allowing viewers to get into the protagonist's headspace while she wonders what is real and what is fiction.
As viewers get to know Alter better, it becomes apparent that she has violent trauma relating to her childhood. These are captured with strange visions involving fish and fish bowls, although there is difficulty at discovering their meaning. With her mother being unwilling to cooperate, Alter struggles to locate the source of her childhood trauma.
Bringing alive this tale is a visual extravaganza, as fascinating imagery is conveyed with an eye-catching sense of style. It is hypnotizing to witness this horny work come alive through tremendous imagery, with the inside of Alter's mind vividly captured through camera angles and attention-grabbing shots. It must be said that these visual cues can only go so far, as the pacing can feel tough to work through, and leaves the story to sometimes feel like a slog. It is a shame, as Scarlet Blue is a visually arresting work which effectively captures tragedy within a fractured mind.
Scarlet Blue made its UK Premiere at FrightFest 2024
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