Daisy?


Maybe I've missed something (I've watched this movie in the course of three nights), but who's Daisy? Did she appear earlier in the movie or did she just come out of nowhere to help Judex at the end of the movie?

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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She was an ex of the detective who just happened to drive by.

Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

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So she came out of nowhere

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

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Daisy was also in Feuillade's original serial (she was a champion swimmer there), but Sylva literally came out of nowhere as Franju had to add her on the producer's wishes. In the movie, she seems to magically appear as a "deus ex machina" figure and this fits the surreal style of the movie, so I have no problem with it. Sylva was never much of an actress, but her appearance in this movie allowed her to have her only, great cinematic moment: the image of Daisy- wearing white- fighting Diana -wearing black- on the roof will always be an indelible sight. She's been in a few other important movies though (notably Germi's "Il Ferroviere").

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her appearance in this movie allowed her to have her only, great cinematic moment: the image of Daisy- wearing white- fighting Diana -wearing black- on the roof will always be an indelible sight
It was! Loved it amongst the many memorable scenes in this film. It was a sly twist to have the white clad goodie push the black clad baddie to the edge of the roof. A momentary reversal of morality -?
In the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer

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Good morning, Poppy.

Glad you got to discover this masterpiece.

A momentary reversal of morality -?


So refreshing as opposed to something like the black clad baddie tripping, the white clad goodie handing her hand and the black clad baddie falling to her death after unsuccessfully trying to trick her would've been, right?

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Re-the bit in spoilers, absolutely! The choice could have been much more conventional, that it wasn't is one of the many good ingredients of this film. Georges Franju has my interest now but it's hard to get his films. Did he like tall, slender ladies? Edith Scob is most beautiful with her swan neck and the two other women were also long and lithe.

In the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer

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Georges Franju has my interest now but it's hard to get his films.


Do you have the Judex DVD or did you get to see it at some retrospective? It's available in the Masters of Cinema series as a double edition that also includes 'Les nuits rouges'. Since it's a film that's very dear to my heart, I also bought the more recent Criterion edition, which has some great bonus features including a couple of Franju's early shorts. His first film, 'La tête contre les murs ' has also been released by Masters of Cinema, they come with good booklets. I think they released 'Les yeux sans visage' as well? (I have the Criterion one as I always look for the juicest editions when it comes to his films). 'Thérèse Deaqueyroux' and 'Thomas L'Imposteur' are only available in France, I'm afraid. And so will 'Pleins feux sur l'assassin' (it gets released in May for the first time). I don't think 'La faute de l'abbé Mouret' is availabe anywhere yet, but that's a minor loss, since it's easily his least memorable film.

Did he like tall, slender ladies? Edith Scob is most beautiful with her swan neck and the two other women were also long and lithe.


As I mentioned, he didn't cast Sylva in the film, but two out of his three muses (Edith and Francine) certainly are. Emmanuelle was a different type.

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