Marion Cotillard reveals her favorite American cult film from 1939, 85 years on

Marion Cotillard confesses to constantly returning to a cult American film released 85 years ago. This 1939 classic feeds her curiosity, revives her memory as a spectator and enlightens her acting. The ritual is repeated, as each viewing reveals a new nuance.

Why Marion Cotillard keeps coming back to this 1939 classic

This 1939 feature film has spanned generations, as it speaks of desire, loss and hope. Marion Cotillard sees it as an intimate landmark, almost a beacon for her artistic choices. And the film’s visual and musical imprint remains a lesson in directing. As a result, her attachment to it speaks volumes about the power of popular cinema.

La Môme – La Vie en Rose (Film; 2007) revealed a rare performer. She won an Oscar and a César for her total, inhabited role. This success is a source of inspiration for her cinephilia, as watching a 1939 classic reminds her of the power of metamorphosis. In this way, the demand for precision meets pure emotion.

Public Enemies – Public Enemies (Film; 2009) confronts her with the gangster myth under the direction of Michael Mann. She plays Billie Frechette, a figure of loyalty and risk. By returning to an old cult film, the actress measures how archetypes evolve. What’s more, the formal rigor of yesterday’s masters feeds her modernity.

“Every time I see it, I rediscover a new emotion.”

What Marion Cotillard is looking for, again and again

Minuit à Paris – Midnight in Paris (Film) places her at the heart of a reverie about the past and creation. She plays Adriana, a muse in search of an ideal time. This lucid nostalgia resonates with the 1939 film, which is also about the self and elsewhere. In fact, looking to the past sometimes helps us to better inhabit the present.

De rouille et d’os – Rust and Bone (Film; 2012) brings her face to face with rebuilding after an accident. Her shattering performance has been hailed with awards and nominations. Seeing an old classic reminds her that drama and grace are held together by detail. A gesture, a silence, can change everything on screen.

• Released in 1939, the film made cinematic history.
• Celebrating 85 years of existence, it remains astonishingly topical.
• Key themes: quest, courage, transition from innocence to experience.
• For an actress, revisiting a classic sharpens the eye and the memory.
• With each new vision, a detail emerges that transforms the reading experience.

Cinephilia, transmission and today’s viewpoints

The Immigrant – The Immigrant (Film) takes her into exile and endurance, under the watchful eye of James Gray. She plays Ewa, a young woman grappling with early America. This tale of migration harks back to the roots of the studio system. As a result, the actress sees how dreams are forged in the face of adversity.

Les Petits Mouchoirs – Little White Lies (Film ; 2010) shows a group of friends dealing with the unspoken. She captures the fragility of the bond, with delicacy and candor. Revisiting a cult film from 1939 reminds her that collective stories stand the test of time. Dramatic comedy knows how to tell the truth when it dares.

Les Petits Mouchoirs 2 – Little White Lies 2 (Film; 2019) extends the rifts and the reunion. Time has passed, and everyone learns to talk to each other again. This discrepancy between yesterday and today joins the taste for re-readings. In short, a classic that inspires because it dialogues with the ages we live in.

The Dark Knight Rises – The Dark Knight Rises (Film; 2012) takes her to the heart of a heroic myth. She plays a dual figure, strategist and mysterious. Returning to a 1939 milestone, she measures the power of archetypes. In this way, the blockbuster sometimes becomes a parable.

Career milestones and assumed tastes

Jeux d’enfants – Children’s Games (Film; 2003) reveals a playful, cruel audacity. The childish pact becomes a tender, devastating trap. This tension between play and vertigo speaks to the attentive cinephile. Secondly, such a sensitive chord serves all kinds of metamorphoses.

Un long dimanche de fiançailles – Un long dimanche de fiançailles (Film; 2004) saw her shine in a more subdued register. She won a César for Best Supporting Actress. This sense of detail is nourished by repeated viewings of an old masterpiece. In this way, historical precision converses with poetry.

What this 1939 film still has to say to Marion Cotillard

Big Fish – Big Fish (Film; 2003) takes her to Tim Burton’s home, where she finds herself between fable and filiation. She plays Josephine, witness to a tale that heals. Great tales don’t age, they just change costumes. As a result, the 1939 film remains a discreet companion.

Nine – Nine (Film; 2009) plunges her back into the musical gesture, faced with the vertigo of creation. In it, she searches for the balance between voice, body and gaze. Scores from the past offer an enduring vocabulary. And listening to the classics sharpens the rhythm of her playing.

Contagion – Contagion (Film; 2011) places her at the heart of a dry, realistic global crisis. She plays a doctor on the frontline of uncertainty. The great dramas of 1939 teach us how to frame the emergency without losing the human touch. Marion Cotillard continues to draw method, courage and inspiration from them.

• Marion Cotillard