Pietro Marcello, one of contemporary cinema’s most versatile talents, follows up his dramatic breakthrough Martin Eden with this enchanting period fable. Shortly after World War I, veteran Raphaël (Raphaël Thiery) returns home from the frontlines a widower and father to an infant daughter. Raised in rural Normandy, the child Juliette (Juliette Jouan) grows into a headstrong young woman who dreams of greater possibilities. She seeks refuge in the nearby woods, where she meets a witch who promises scarlet sails will one day take her away from her village. Reckoning with her future and swept away by a rakish young pilot (Louis Garrel) who literally falls from the sky, Juliette never stops believing in the witch’s prophecy. Tracing Juliette’s journey throughout the 20 years of great invention between the world wars, Scarlet delicately weaves together music and fantasy, history and folklore, realist drama and ethereal romance, to craft a timeless story of a young woman’s emancipation.

For in-depth thoughts on Scarlet (2023), please see my colleague Caillou Pettis’ review from its original theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

Scarlet comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is truly sumptuous. This is a visually rich experience shot on 35mm film, a fact that is quite obvious as you see all the beautiful film grain complete with little nicks in the print. There are countless beautiful shots of nature throughout where you can see a robust amount of detail. The film is replete with vivid colors that really pop from the lush nature to some of the costumes on display. The interiors are typically a more reserved environment that presents with a cooler tone that the presentation translates perfectly with a pleasing richness. The highlights are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. The skin tones look very textured and natural all around. This presentation is a wonder from beginning to end.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French that conjures a very specific atmosphere which transports you back to this point in history. Dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overshadowed by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is as deftly executed as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned perfectly in the mix. The environmental effects create a really full soundscape of wildlife and subtle breezes. This is a very low-key film, and the activity in the low end is employed only when it makes sense in the presentation. The luscious score is showcased wonderfully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. This is a lovely sounding release that accomplishes everything that is asked of it.

Special Features

Making-Of Documentary: A nearly 18-minute documentary on the production of the film in which you meet all the key crew members before exploring the shooting locations, the performers, the atmosphere on set, the spirit of family, the production design and more.

Q&A with Director Pietro Marcello: An 18-minute Q&A hosted by Film At Lincoln Center with director Pietro Marcello (along with an interpreter) in which he discusses his relationship with the material, the process of adapting the novella, bringing the character of Juliette to life, the modern nature of the story, and many more insights that enrich the film.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Scarlet is a narratively less ambitious feature from Pietro Marcello following Martin Eden, but it is one that resonates on a much deeper emotional level. From the opening moments, the movie casts a spell over you which spans several decades and blooms at the perfect pace. Through its deliberate scripting, you come to know and care about nearly every character that comes across the screen, culminating to a finale which you will not soon forget. The performers here are incredibly natural and bring an authenticity that only makes the film that much better. Kino Lorber has presented a Blu-Ray that features a really amazing A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features that will help increase your appreciation of the film. If the previous film was leading with its head, this feature is all heart. Recommended

Scarlet will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on August 8, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Lorber has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.