Melanie Laurent adapted Victoria Moss’ “Le Paul des Foles” with precision and humanity

Loyal to Victoria Mass’ novel, the film follows the journey of Eugene, a young woman from a good family who can talk to the dead. As she aspired to a career free from her father’s training, Pitik was forced into the Sulfatrier Hospital, which at the time was exclusively for female service and directed by Professor Charcot, a service specializing in “hysteria”. Patients are considered insane. Eugene discovered the horror of the techniques used to “cure” them, but also discovered a virtuous sorority that all women help each other with.

The first French film from the Amazon original, Paul des folks Depicts the icy situation of a hospital with primitive and profound misconduct. No woman is of her own free will, knowing that she is naturally misunderstood. They were depressed, mentally ill, traumatized by a man’s misbehavior, or did not fit the symbols of the society of the time. Professor Sarkot, with the help of doctors and nurses, treated them in general through ice baths, ether and hypnosis sessions. Malays rule with shameless looks and naked, animated bodies, reduced to a field of clinical experimentation, the basis of which cannot be questioned. The famous “crazy ball” scene comes to the climax of a demonstration of absurdity and anxiety that is practically absurd.

The story finally sheds light on the universe of men dominated by women. Thanks to the resistance of mainly white women to wearing black dresses and facing their top hats, it emphasizes the effects of face-to-face and understanding by the group scenes. Melanie Laurent turns it into a choral film, courtesy of Lou de la Age, in which Eugenie is wonderfully embodied, and in Victoria Mass’s writing depicts the atmosphere as terrifying as humanity. .