La Belle endormie | The Sleeping Beauty

Toronto International Film Festival Program Book
2010

La Belle endormie | The Sleeping Beauty
Catherine Breillat
FRANCE, 2010
French
82 minutes Colour/HDCAM
Production Company: Flach Film/CB Films/ Arte France
Producer: Jean-Francois Lepetit, Sylvette Frydman
Screenplay: Catherine Breillat, based on the story “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault Cinematographer: Denis Lenoir
Editor: Pascale Chavance
Production Designer: Francois-Renaud Labarthe
Sound: Yves Osmu, Sébastien Noire, Emmanuel Croset
Principal Cast: Carla Besainou, Julia Artamanov, Kerian Mayan, David Chausse
Production: Flach Film

Catherine Breillat’s bracing explorations of female mythologies find epic resonance in her latest film. The Sleeping Beauty sees the eminent filmmaker working at the height of her powers, something those fortunate enough to have seen her beguiling canon at TIFF Cinematheque this summer have already experienced.

Astonishing landscapes that circumnavigate the globe and a dizzying mix of historical periods provide a backdrop for the little girl at the film’s centre. Breillat’s cinematographic eye has rarely been expressed on such a large canvas or with such razor-sharp intent.

The beginning is pure fairytale and recalls her previous outing, Blue Beard, in its simplicity and sense of foreboding. A young princess is the subject of a tug-of-war among witches, as each struggles to find the suitable antidote to a death sentence inculcated by an evil sister. The well-known story ensues and Breillat integrates into the narrative various worldwide mythologies about little girls in peril. The heroine finds her way back into civilization both through her dreams and through sheer force of will. A particularly poignant chapter finds her ensconced in a conventional family, in love with an older boy and cared for by a loving adopted mother. Lest we forget, this is a Breillat film, so the happiness cannot last. The boy abandons the heroine and her quest to regain his love leads into scenes both real and imagined. These situations recall the more harrowing moments of Breillat’s legendary À ma sœur and her early masterwork Une vraie jeune fille. Breillat also borrows bizarre tropes from other ancient tales, infusing the panoply of characters with albino rulers, dwarf station masters, gypsy bandits and enchanted animals.

Few filmmakers find such imaginative methods to explore such complex and difficult political terrain. Breillat is simply one of the most intriguing and surprising filmmakers working today and The Sleeping Beauty is a fascinating testament to her abilities.
—Noah Cowan