Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris (1974)

A mysteriously linked pair of young women find their daily lives preempted by a strange boudoir melodrama that plays itself out in a hallucinatory parallel reality.

Director:

Jacques Rivette

Writers:

Juliet Berto (scenario) (as Berto), Dominique Labourier (scenario) (as Labourier)

Stars:

Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, Bulle Ogier

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Juliet Berto	...	Celine
Dominique Labourier	...	Julie
Bulle Ogier	...	Camille
Marie-France Pisier	...	Sophie
Barbet Schroeder	...	Olivier
Nathalie Asnar	...	Madlyn
Marie-Thérèse Saussure	...	Poupie
Philippe Clévenot	...	Guilou
Anne Zamire	...	Lil
Jean Douchet	...	M'sieur Dede
Adèle Taffetas	...	Alice
Monique Clément	...	Myrtille
Jérôme Richard	...	Julien
Michael Graham	...	Boris
Jean-Marie Sénia	...	Cyrille

Storyline

A mysteriously linked pair of young women find their daily lives preempted by a strange boudoir melodrama that plays itself out in a hallucinatory parallel reality.

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Plot Keywords:

female friend | alternate reality | old dark house | magic | following someone | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Quotes

Julie: It doesn't hurt to fall off the moon.

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Connections

Referenced in La última película (2013)

User Reviews

Thoughtful but difficult

I recommend people read "Excruciating" (federovsky, 8/30/12) and "Much Ado About Nothing" (Milan, 4/15/2012) if they want to know what they are in store for. "Celine and Julie Go Boating" is difficult, frustrating and over long. However, it is also the kind of film that after seeing it, you wonder what other people have to say about it.

I didn't enjoy it much. Visually, it is not terribly special. The relationship between the two women and the "haunted house" is what keeps us watching, but the scenes come very slowly.

Several people have said it unfolds like a dream. Others have pointed out the lesbian/feminist side to it. Another possibility is that the two women represent two personalities of a schizophrenic nurse who committed an unspeakable crime. That would explain the repetitive cutting between one woman as the nurse and then her counterpart switching in. The two sides of the same madwoman angle possibly explains why the story includes the woman who is a performance amateur subbing for the experienced magician.

Between "Celine" (Juliet Berto) and "Julie" (Dominique Labourier), I think Labourier is the strongest here. Labourier has a lot of charisma; too bad Rivette has her often just laughing directly into the camera.

The characters in the "haunted house" are interesting. Marie-France Pisier is a favorite of mine, and she is very mysterious here.

If the scenes didn't unfold so sluggishly, and if the narrative were tighter, I think it would have been great. Unfortunately, it is too much work to recommend.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

18 September 1974 (France)

Also Known As:

Céline et Julie vont en bateau

Filming Locations:

Montmartre, Paris 18, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,624, 6 May 2012

Gross USA:

$31,452

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,452

Company Credits

Production Co:

Action Films, Les Films 7, Les Films Christian Fechner

Technical Specs

Runtime:

193 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1