A Favorita do Barba Azul

Gévacolor was a new treatment of the color: unfortunately now,the colors have faded and the pictures are rather ugly.

Bluebeard (la Barbe Bleue) was a fairytale by Charles Perrault -who appears in the film- which was published during the Sun King 's reign.It may have been inspired by Joan of Arc's companion Gilles de Rais -who did not kill women but children .This sinister person's castle is still called "Château de Barbe -Bleue " today.Unlike "Cinderella " ("Cendrillon" ) or "Donkey Skin" ("Peau d'Ane"),"La Barbe-Bleue " was actually hardly a fairy tale: in several respects,it is a thriller, nay a horror tale ;only the key -present in the movie - is a fairy.There are hints at "Barbe Bleue" in some thrillers of the forties and the fifties,Fritz Lang's "Secret beyond the door " being the most prominent example .

Unlike Jean Cocteau (Beauty and the Beast) and Jacques Demy (Donkey Skin) Christian-Jaque's attempt at a classic is a failure.However the choice of his two leads was excellent:Pierre Brasseur was ideally cast as the Ogre whereas Cecile Aubry -discovered by HG Clouzot in "Manon" (1949)- was the perfect "Femme-Enfant" .But both overplay and are almost unbearable .

It's not a movie for children -it's not sure that the tale was as well- and it does not really appeal to adults either.I do not want to write a spoiler but there is a very big difference between Perrault's story and the screenplay.Although sister Anne is here and the heroine asks her the famous question "Ann,My Sister Ann,can't you see anything coming?",the film lacks finesse,magic,everything that made "la Belle et la Bête " the masterpiece of the genre.