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Donkey Skin More at IMDbPro »Peau d'âne (original title)

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30 reviews in total

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28 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
French beauty at its best, 20 December 2002

Author: dbdumonteil

Jacques Demy is a French maker who is famous for his musicals such as "les parapluies de Cherbourg" or "les demoiselles de Rochefort". For this movie, he chose to adapt a fairy tale written by Charles Perrault during the seventeenth century and he wisely chose. This movie is a real treat, an absolute enchantment and rare are the movies that succeed in recreating the wonderful atmosphere of fairy tales. Everything, here, reaches a level of perfection rarely reached: sceneries and costumes are marvellous, especially the rooms of the first castle that you see at the beginning of the movie. Moreover, a part of it was made at Chambord. Then, the music is really gorgeous and the songs ravishing. I also noticed that Demy introduced a contemporary humor which contains numerous anachronisms. For example, near the end of the film, Jean Marais appears in a helicopter! However, the story takes place in the seventeenth century. How strange it is... Don't forget, a performance of quality. Catherine Deneuve is an ideal and delicate princess but Jean Marais is probably the best actor in the movie. He's very convincing in his role of tormented and jaded king. Besides, it was his last role for the cinema. After that, he's given over to painting and sculpture. Even if certain special effects are a little kitsch, the movie is impregnated with a lot of poetry. So, at the end, a movie that seduces the eyesight and the hearing and this is one of Demy's masterpieces.

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19 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
gorgeous!!, 30 January 2005

Author: vespertine from Massachusetts

To me, Donkey Skin (Peau d'Ane) is like Jean Cocteau reborn into the French New Wave(!). Gorgeous and stylized, it's a fairytale told with the cinematic magic we've come to expect from director Jacques Demy. This is a fairytale that adults will enjoy more than children, as it's full of dark humor. Ms. Deneuve is stunning as always, and the sassy fairy is also wonderful. Surreal and bizarre, Donkey Skin traps you into its world of bold colors, real-life french châteaux, living statues, and loads of fairy magic. But Demy doesn't seem content to let the viewer completely lose him/herself in the world he's created. The movie is full of self-references, something Demy had partly explored earlier with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, but really let himself have fun with in Donkey Skin. For just when you come to believe the magic, Demy likes to remind you that this is just a movie. With only a smudge of dirt and an animal skin, the beautiful princess (Deneuve) is transformed on screen into the ugliest girl in the entire kingdom, so ugly that whenever she shares the screen with other characters, they all look on in horror. We still see a beautiful woman, under the dirt on her face and the donkey skin on her back, and we are reminded that this is only a movie-world. The helicopter is an amazing touch, and it made the movie for me. I won't say more, see it for yourself! (The reprint is currently making its rounds and is well worth it!)

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16 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Charming, light-hearted fun, 19 April 2000
Author: Oriel from Athens, Georgia

The fairy tale on which this colorful musical is based might not seem the most promising story for a light-hearted movie: as the story begins, a dying queen makes her husband promise that his next wife will be as beautiful as she, and his solution is to marry his own daughter. Fortunately, our heroine has a savvy confidante, the marcel-waved fairy godmother, whose worldly advice allows the girl to keep putting off the marriage. Finally, however, the princess has to flee her kingdom and, in a Cinderella twist, disguise herself as a lowly scullion. Fortunately, even covered in a donkey's skin, she manages to win the heart of a prince.

An enjoyably tongue-in-cheek combination of music, humor, and romance, this film features some of the most splendidly over-the-top costumes I've ever seen, and an adorable soft-focus, slow-motion duet between the two young lovers (with hilariously anachronistic lyrics). Actor Jean Marais, who distinguished himself in a very different fairy tale film --Cocteau's -La Belle et la Bete- --makes a distinguished if warped king, and Catherine Deneuve charms as she bakes a cake while singing the recipe--and daintily keeping her ruffled sleeves out of the batter. The fairy godmother is probably the most enjoyable character, a modish lady in high heels who has her own ideas about the king's proper romantic destiny. A plus for tourists is that much of the film takes place in actual French castles, including the one with the famous double-helix staircase.

Those who prefer a darker slant to fairy tales may enjoy reading Robin McKinley's novel -Deerskin-, based on the same story. But if -The Slipper and the Rose- is more your speed, or if you want something appropriate for all ages, track down -Donkey Skin-. Just be prepared if your daughter demands a dress the color of the moon next Halloween.

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12 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Brush up your Freud, 1 April 2005

Author: eva25at from Vienna, Austria

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

A mighty king (Jean Marais) has a beautiful wife (Catherine Deneuve with a brown wig), a beautiful daughter (Deneuve with a smashing blonde pony-tail) and a donkey that produces gold like dung. The Queen dies and the king vows to marry only a woman who out-beauties her. It turns out that all available princesses are either too old for this old roué, or painted by Picasso. His own daughter is the only girl who meets all his requirements! She is docile and devoted to her father, but there is a limit to everything. Her aunt, the Fairy Queen (Delphine Seyrig) encourages her disobedience ("It's not nice to the rising generation" she sings). In order to keep her father in the air the princess makes impossible conditions: dresses in the color of the weather, the moon, the sun. But the king complies even with her most cruel request: the donkey's skin. She wraps herself up in this poor animal's hide and flees. She becomes the maid of a shrew (toads leap from her mouth) and sleeps in the hen-stable. She is treated as the lowest of the low and the other maids call her "Mudlark". Prince Charming comes along, sees her in her sun-dress and starts to pester his parents with his own caprices: He wants a cake, baked by "Mudlark" with her own tender hands (The baking scene, where Deneuve sings a duet with herself is one of the most enchanting moments in this film. When she breaks an egg a chicken hatches out of it). She smuggles her ring in the dough. Now the kingdom's virgins have to report for inspection: whose slender finger will wear Prince Charming's wedding ring?

Charles Perrault, the author of this fairy-tale, was of course a child of the 17th. century and could not foresee that the audience of the 21th. century would find the premise of his tale hard to swallow. I enjoyed this charming film thoroughly, but I had to try out Freudian repression during the first half. The film is visually magnificent. The color photography, the costumes, the settings, are breathtakingly beautiful. Director Jacques Demy makes it clear as daylight that imagination, inventiveness, a subtle humor and an inclination for experiments are worth more than millions of dollars plus a computer. Parts of the decor will disturb animal protectors: I don't mind that Jean Marais' retinue look like the blue meanies in YELLOW SUBMARINE, but had entire horses really have to be painted blue and red? And how many of them had to part with their tails to create Deneuve's hairdo? Moralists will be scandalized: Yes, those naked statues in the background - they are alive. Just a little bit blue...Michel Legrand composed the score, Guillaume Apollinaire and Jean Cocteau added their verses (Marais was one of the poet's closest friends and the star of LA BELLE ET LA BETE (1946) and ORPHEE (1950)). Catherine Deneuve is irresistible: She is gorgeous, of course, and her sly and sparkling performance increases the film's speed. PEAU D'ANE is as fresh and original as LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG but Deneuve's acting-style has inevitably become more profound after having worked with Polanski and Bunuel.

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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Demy's Kitsch Fairy-Tale Vision, 17 January 2005

Author: mackjay from Out there in the dark

PEAU D'ANE has not been easy to find in the US, so the recent restoration has allowed fans of Jacques Demy's romantically-tinged films a chance to finally see it.

The 1970 film turns out to be a true European fairy-tale film. The story is presented un-Disneyized, with many bizarre, even repellent components. The king's donkey produces riches, mainly coins and jewels, from its anus. And when his wife dies, the king wants to marry his own daughter, a concept met with only mild bewilderment. Surely for many, these and other details will seem strange and off-putting. Yet the original versions of many well-known fairy-tales are much more violent and bizarre than we would suspect from the typical Hollywood treatments they tend to get.

The most distinguishing features of Demy's film are the production design and the music. Costumes, and especially sets in this film could often be described with no better a word than 'kitsch'. The king's throne is a huge, stuffed white cat that looks like something he won throwing darts at a carnival. Many objects that seem out of place in royal palaces are on display in the film, along with costumes that betray their true decade of origin. But this may be Demy's conscious intent, maybe the influence of the Nouvelle Vague, of which he was never more than a marginal participant. The film's climax contains the most blatantly anachronistic thing and pretty much convinces the viewer that the director never wants it forgotten that this is, after all, a movie.

For some reason, the songs written for PEAU D'ANE by Michel Legrand have not become better known. Perhaps this is due to the relative obscurity of the film itself. It's a typical Legrand score, using and re-using a handful of tunes throughout. Fans of the composer will not mind, since the songs are characteristically infectious and even haunting.

The cast is populated by some of the most attractive and interesting performers available to French film at the time: Catherine Deneuve, Jacques Perrin (who would go on to direct WINGED MIGRATION), Jean Marais (the great Cocteau collaborator), Delphine Seyrig and Micheline Presle.

A one-of-a-kind movie from an underrated director.

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8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
The Ring in the Cake, 17 September 2007

Author: Cristian from Colombia

Without a doubt, Jacques Demy brings to world one of the most exquisite movies, full of color and music, and "Peau d'âne " is not the exception. This movie is a wonderful adaptation of Charles Perrault tale about a princess who must be disguised by a donkey skin, so in this way the king don't find her and marry her. "Peau d'âne " is a distinguished musical fantasy, full of unforgettable characteristics of charm. Catherine Deneuve, who is the princess, as always, is fantastic and beautiful. The scenario is surprising, worthy of a fairy tale, each aspect is delicate and preserved. The songs are beautiful too, and very sticky. Other thing are its characters, all builds a perfect tale of funny situations.

Is undoubtedly that Jacques give to its movies a special and magical touch, that, between fantasy and reality are mixed to gives us a time of joy and tears, or both and " Peau d'âne" counts with that. Is a funny and beautiful story, each situation is memorable as its characters: We love the Princess character, as all the royalty and all the people of the town, but what make "Peau d'âne" more unforgettable is all the fantastic or funny situations that the characters are confronted in colors and songs (As memorable could be describe for example the sequences of the"Dress of time" and "The ring test"). "Peau d'âne" also counts with different technical methods, which develop more the previous characteristics, as are the slow camera and the "same scene" repetitions.

"Peau d'âne" is one of that classic tales that, in the case, as i am, you have not heard or read before, this is a great adaptation of it. As we remember other tales by Perrault, this is undoubtedly faithful. "Peau d'âne" is, sincerely, an indispensable movie for all the lovers of magic.

*Sorry for the mistakes...well, if there any.

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8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Yet another charming French musical, 22 December 2001
Author: jkowski from State College, PA

Unlike Demy's Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Donkey Skin is a lighted-hearted and witty musical. Catherine Deneuve is luminous as always in the role of the princess; however, Delphine Seyrig (Last Year at Marienbad, Muriel, Stolen Kisses) gives an outstanding performance as the fairy godmother, and really steals the show. I agree with the previous writer's praise for this film, but the synopsis of the story is severely misleading. This is not really a Cinderella story. Deneuve plays a princess, who must assume a demeaning disguise in order to escape her father's incestuous plans to marry her, she being the only princess more beautiful than the deceased queen. Seyrig, an otherwise ineffectual fairy godmother, sings a charming, humorous song in order to convince the princess that it is wrong for children to marry their parents. The princess, before finally fleeing to a neighboring kingdom, solicits the king for three dresses and finally the skin of his prized donkey in order to thwart his plans. She does not direct these requests to the prince and there is nothing in the film about the donkey skin precipiating the financial ruin of the kingdom. Highly Recommended and a must-see for fans both of French cinema and the musical. This is yet another example of how the French make more profound and entertaining musicals than us Americans. The Michel Legrand score is outstanding.

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9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
I love this movie!, 28 July 2006

Author: angelmpb from Brazil

I saw this movie for the first time in the movies when I was a little girl. I never forgot it, I never forgot the main song. For years I tried to find it in the video stores, I wish it was released in DVD. This is a cult-fantasy movie and deserves to be more available to the general public. Nowadays the "fantasy" movies have a lot of silliness and disgusting behavior due to lack of imagination of new filmmakers. Movies like Peau d'ane should not be forgotten and should be re-released so the new generation can learn to appreciate true art. Catherine Deneuve is in the top of her beauty in this movie, the clothes are wonderful, the music unforgettable.

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11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
This is a classic!, 6 August 2006

Author: rafe-macpherson from Canada

Being a university student in the 60's, in Toronto, it was a given that one saw as many foreign films as possible. The French New Wave was happening so we all trudged off to see the latest incomprehensible (to me) Godard or the new, much more accessible Truffaut or the ever bleaker Bergman or the latest jaw-dropper from Fellini and woe betide you if you dared to admit that you didn't "get" Antonioni. We knew how to pronounce the names of Japanese and Czech directors and argued the merits of Bunuel. We were into it, man. Cinema (not "the movies") was our passion. So how did "Peau d'Ane pass us by? I'd seen "The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg" of course. Who hadn't? Jacques Demy and Michel Legrande were practically house-hold names and yet no one raced off to see "Peau d'Ane". I'm sure it must have had a theatrical release, here and I dimly remember being aware of it at the time but it certainly didn't have the "Oh muh God!" critical reaction and word-of-mouth that would have turned it into the cult hit that it should have been. With no CGI and, by today's standards, the simplest of special effects, this movie is utterly magical and astonishing. I suspect that, for 1970, it was just too "French". The story is an (apparently) beloved French classic by Felix Perrault but quite unknown outside French culture. The title, "Donkey's Skin" and a slightly ick-factor plot line may have put off critics and audiences at the time but I'm now convinced that every director of the spate of fantasy movies that we currently enjoy has been heavily influenced by "Peau d'Ane".

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14 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
so weird it almost defies description!, 12 July 2005

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is one strange French film! This isn't to say that it's bad---just VERY strange. The best way to describe it is a combination of Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast and Disney's Cinderella. Despite having live actors, the colors, costumes and sets look almost like animation come to life. This is a very good thing, as the colors are incredibly bright and just plain cool. The reason I say it reminds me of Cocteau's masterpiece is that there are so many weird story elements and camera tricks that Cocteau must have inspired for this movie (such as running scenes backwards).

The basic plot is just kind of sick--a king wants to marry his biological daughter! Too weird. She runs away with the help of her fairy godmother (though she herself seemed more than willing to go through with the wedding, her fairy godmother was appalled). So, to help her escape, the fairy godmother instructs her to wear a donkey skin and RUN! She goes to another kingdom and everyone seems to think she's an ugly scullery maid--though she is the incredibly beautiful Catherine Deneuve (there must have been a magic spell on the skin, as it was very obvious to the viewers that this was Daneuve). A passing prince sees her and is smitten and the rest is kind of like Cinderella.

However, there is so much weirdness in the story! I'll cite just a few examples: 1. The donkey, before he is skinned, is an enchanted one. He poops gold and precious gems! 2. After she runs away with the donkey skin, she meets an old hag who after talking a sentence or two, spits live frogs out on the ground! 3. The servants in her own country wear all blue with painted blue skin. In the prince's land, they all have red faces and clothes.

So I strongly recommend it for anyone who wants something different. It is a kids' movie, though adults will likely enjoy it as well. However, due to the extreme yuckiness of the plot (incest), this may definitely scare away many and may require parents to discuss this with their kids afterwards!

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