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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Le rêve remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you have a soft spot for 1930s French cinema and don't mind pacing that feels like a slow walk through a graveyard, go for it. But if you get restless when nothing happens for ten minutes, keep walking. Le Rêve isn't trying to be an action flick. It’s an mood piece, through and through.
The film starts with this little kid wandering through the snow, and honestly, the way the bells toll in the background just sets the tone perfectly. It’s bleak, it’s cold, and it feels very lived-in. You can practically smell the damp stone of that church.
Angelique’s story is pretty straightforward, almost to a fault. She’s an embroiderer, she has big dreams, and she falls for the wrong guy. It’s classic stuff, really. But the way she stares at those illustrated books? That felt real. We’ve all had those moments where we just wanted to disappear into a page.
The scene where she’s washing linen in the river and just... lets it slip away? It’s a bit dramatic, sure, but it’s the kind of thing that happens when you're head-over-heels. Distraction is a powerful thing.
And let’s talk about that bishop. He’s the lord of the manor, the head of the church, and the guy telling her she can’t have what she wants. Talk about a power imbalance. Watching him recite the Our Father while she’s on her deathbed is... a choice. It’s unsettling. You can tell the movie is trying to squeeze every drop of emotion out of that altar.
It’s a bit uneven, honestly. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it's dragging its feet, and then suddenly, we’re at a wedding, and then we’re in the clouds. It’s a bit of a tonal whiplash. If you’ve seen The Young Lady and the Hooligan, you know that old-school vibe where everything feels slightly like a theater stage. This feels exactly like that.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a weird, fragile little thing. It lingers in your head for a while after the screen goes black, even if you’re not entirely sure why. ☁️