‘Scarlet’ trailer: ‘Martin Eden’ filmmaker Pietro Marcello directs a Jacques Demy-Esque fairy tale

Italian director Pietro Marcello caused a stir at the 2019 Venice Film Festival with Jack London’s adaptation “Martin Eden.” This film about the sentimental and moral education of an idealistic man at the turn of the 20th century, distributed in the United States by Kino Lorber, more or less presented the talents of idol Luca Marinelli to Western audiences. Now, Marcello is once again teaming up with the US distributor, this time turning his camera on the story of coming of age, with “Scarlet.” In the cast, Raphaël Thiéry, Louis Garrel and newcomer Juliette Jouan. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film, which premiered at the 2022 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, below.

According to the official synopsis, shortly after the First World War, veteran Raphaël (Raphaël Thiéry) returns from the front to find himself a widower and the father of a little girl. Raised by her father in the Normandy countryside, the child Juliette (Juliette Jouan) grows into a solitary young girl who is passionate about singing and music and dreams of greater possibilities. She seeks refuge in the nearby woods, where she meets a witch who promises that scarlet sails will one day lead her away from her village. Counting on her future and carried away by a debauched young pilot (Louis Garrel) who literally falls from the sky, Juliette continues to believe in the witch’s prophecy. Tracing Juliette’s journey through 20 years of great invention between the two world wars, “Scarlet” delicately weaves music and fantasy, history and folklore, realistic drama and ethereal romance to create a timeless story of the emancipation of a young woman.

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film “a fascinating, slippery film filled with lyrical beauty, acts of barbarism, moments of magic, and unexpected hope…As he did in ‘Martin Eden,’ Marcello takes an expansive and visually adventurous approach to a story about people and the historical forces that define them, imprison them, and sometimes free them.

Scarlet is written by Marcello, Maurizio Braucci and Maud Ameline based on the 1923 Russian novel by Alexander Grin.

Marcello’s previous film “Martin Eden” received several nominations at the 2021 Gotham Independent Film Awards after its release in the United States. The film also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.

Kino Lorber opens “Scarlet” in New York on June 9, with more dates to follow nationwide.