La cité des enfants perdus
Tags: comedy, avant garde, neo noir, murder, dark, bleak, whimsical, violence, alternate reality, atmospheric, psychedelic, sci-fi

Plot synopsis:
Krank (Daniel Emilfork), a highly intelligent but evil being created by a vanished scientist, is unable to dream, which causes him to age prematurely. At his lair on an abandoned oil-rig (which he shares with the scientist's other creations: six childish clones, a dwarf named Martha, and a brain in a vat named Irvin), he uses a dream-extracting machine to steal dreams from children. The children are kidnapped for him from a nearby port city by a cyborg cult called the Cyclops, who in exchange he supplies with mechanical eyes and ears. Among the kidnapped is Denree (Joseph Lucien), the adopted little brother of carnival strongman One (Ron Perlman).
After the carnival manager is stabbed by a mugger, One is hired by a criminal gang of orphans (run by a pair of Siamese twins called "the Octopus") to help them steal a safe. The theft is successful, but the safe is lost in the harbor when One is distracted by seeing Denree's kidnappers. He, together with one of the orphans, a little girl called Miette, follows the Cyclops and infiltrates their headquarters, but they are captured. Meanwhile the Octopus orders circus performer Marcello (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) to return One to them. He uses his trained fleas, which secrete a poison that causes mindless aggression, to turn the Cyclops guards against each other, before rescuing One. However he leaves Miette behind, who almost drowns before a amnesiac diver living beneath the harbor retrieves her.
Miette leaves the diver's lair to find One and Marcello both drowning their sorrows in a bar. Upon seeing Miette alive the remorseful Marcello lets One leave with her. However the Octopus confronts them on the pier, and uses Marcello's stolen fleas to turn One against Miette. A spectacular chain of events triggered by one of Miette's tears leads to a ship crashing into the pier before One can throttle her. Marcello arrives and sets the fleas on the Octopus, allowing One and Miette to escape to continue searching for Denree.
Back at Krank's oil-rig, Irvin gets one of the clones to release a plea for help in the form of a bottled dream telling the story of how they were created. It reaches One, Miette, and the diver, and the latter remembers that he was the scientist who made them, and that the oil-rig was his laboratory before Krank and Martha pushed him off to take it for themselves. They all converge on the rig; the diver to destroy it and the duo to rescue Denree.
Miette is almost killed by Martha, but the diver harpoons her. She then finds Denree asleep in Krank's dream-extracting machine, and Irvin tells her that to release him she must enter the machine herself. In the dream world she meets Krank and makes a deal with him to replace Denree as the source of the dream; Krank fears a trap but plays along, believing himself to be in control. Miette then uses her imagination to control the dream and turn it into an infinite loop, destroying Krank's mind. One and Miette rescue all the children while the now-deranged diver loads the rig with dynamite and straps himself to one of its legs. He regains his senses as everyone is rowing away, and pleads with his remaining creations to come back to rescue him, but a seabird lands on the handle of the blasting machine, blowing up him and the rig.

Review: I can't think of a film that has such a concentration of memorable shots - time and again, especially watching on DVD with a freeze-frame facility, you realize how many beautiful compositions Jean-Pierre Jeunet gives us: though the cast of characters could easily fill a freak show, and the sets are dark and quite unglamorous in themselves, the cinematography is gorgeous and the mise-en-scène often strangely elegant.
In a sense Miette, like Krank, has grown old too fast: the orphaned street-children of this city are savvy and unsentimental, and never seem to have had a childhood; meanwhile there's something deeply childish, in various ways, about most of the adults.
One elderly actress who appears towards the end (Nane Germon) acted - as Jeunet's DVD commentary points out - in Jean Cocteau's "La Belle et la Bête" about fifty years earlier (there are, by the way, distinct references to the Beauty and the Beast story here), and "La Cité des enfants perdus" deserves to join that film as one of the classic cinematic fairy-tales.
Anyone who loves a visually stunning movie should watch this film it looks amazing.
This music fits the mood and plot of the story perfectly and stays with you(as does the movie itself) long after the credits have rolled.The casting director of "The City Of Lost Children", Pierre-Jacques Benochou, sure knew what he was doing, because there is not one poor (or mediocre one, for that matter) performance in the whole film.
Last, but not least, the children, with Judith Vittet as Miette in a stand-out performance, all carry out their roles with smashing results.Another reason for me choosing "The City Of Lost Children" as the best movie of 1996 is its stunning direction.
"City of Lost Children" is a beautifully-realized if derivative dark fantasy in which a mad scientist named Krank, aided by a half-dozen clones, a midget woman, and a brain in a tank, abducts children to his offshore lab so he can steal their dreams.
The images are the thing: with its rendering of a bleak, low-tech retro-future, "City" looks more like a Terry Gilliam movie than "Twelve Monkeys" does!
Since this is a film by Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet, you simply know to expect a unique and surreal story (remember "Delicatessen"?) filled with extravagant characters and bizarre dreamscapes!
Other actors appearing and giving freak acting are the followings : Dominique Pinon, Jean Claude Dreyfuss, Mapi Galan , Jean Louis Trintignant , Ticky Holgado and Rufus .This one results to be a strange , bizarre , surrealist and haunting film set in a dystopian society in which several fantastic incidents take place .
This peculiar movie has freaks galore , avant-garde costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier , breakgrounding special effects in charge by Pitof , and state-of-art production design by Marc Caro , all of whose function seems chiefly to be as bizarre as possible .Exceptional photography by Darius Khondji , a prestigious cameraman with known titles as Seven, 9th door , The beach , Wimbledon , Funny Games , The immigrant , Z lost city .
Instead the film mainly features imagery and sets from what appears to be the city from Alex Proyas's Dark City if it had been located on a French coastline in the 1940s.But getting to the point, what ruined this movie for me was not that it was to unfocused and lacking in action.
However, while I adored DELICATESSEN and gave it a very high score, I wasn't nearly as impressed by CITY OF LOST CHILDREN--mostly because this film seemed to emphasize set design and weirdness, while plot seemed almost unimportant.
As for the plot, it sure took me a long time to even understand what was happening--and it seemed like I needed captions to explain the captions as I read along with the film!!
I have liked this odd looking actor ever since I first saw him in DIVA and he was the best character in both this film and DELICATESSEN.
There's more to it than that, but really I didn't think the story was that important--it was more a chance to give a canvas to all the weird sets and characters.Overall, I liked seeing the film but I never came close to loving it.
Many disagree with the previous reviewer.Not sure what the last reviewer watched, but City of lost Children is amazing cinema from the sets, color, acting, lighting, plot, it had everything pushed to the Nth from what I experienced.
The City of Lost Children is a movie which soars above the Hollywood blockbusters in visual masterpiece.
No. The characters are unlikeable and not interesting at all like Amelie, the way of story telling is not serious which is one of the main problems of the film, after a while, the story is scattered and becomes 'watery' The story 'collects' itself in the final part a little bit, but it does not save it.
This movie is definitely more dark or tone but with still its very distinctive imaginative, fantasy-like world, spirit attached to it.If you aren't really taken by the movie its story, you should at least be blown away by its visuals.
Not just all of its sets and costumes are great looking but also its limited effects and odd looking actors who play the characters.Don't really understand why most people praise Ron Perlman for playing a French speaking role and all the claims that he does it flawlessly must have been written by his agent or something.
It does really slow the movie down at some parts and I do wish the movie would had been a bit more entertaining and comedy-like to watch but this is, as it seems, due to the hand of co-director Marc Caro, who seems to be more fond of post-apocalyptic and darker stories than Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
don't know if this also was the reason for their creative split-up as directors but fact remains that Jean-Pierre Jeunet has continued to make some beautiful, classic movies, while Marc Caro has had very little work since.One greatly odd and beautiful looking film.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
'The City of Lost Children (1995)' is one of the most visually-exciting films to emerge from the 1990s  constructing an elaborate fantasy world of the weird and wonderful  but, unfortunately, it often feels rather hollow and purposeless.
French co-directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet were already well-known for their distinctive visual style, having previously achieved success with the post-apocalyptic black comedy 'Delicatessen (1991),' and this film, the last of their collaborations, only extends their fascination with blending surrealism and fantasy into a veritable feast for the eyes and the imagination.
Caro and Jeunet fill the screen with grotesque human figures, apparently delighting in the stark contrast created between the weathered, disfigured features of the adult characters, and the soft youthfulness of the large cast of child performers.On an ominous oil-rig in the centre of a green, polluted ocean, an eccentric inventor (Dominique Pinon) has attempted to craft a family for himself, with ghastly results at every turn: his would-be wife is stunted and dwarfish, his "brain-in-a-tank" intellectual companion suffers constant migraines, the six clones "created in his own image" are clumsy and idiotic, and his supreme creation  "more intelligent then the most intelligent man on Earth"  is stricken with one disastrous flaw  the inability to dream.
When the "little brother" of a dim but kind-hearted strongman, One (American actor Ron Perlman), is kidnapped by a cult of sinister blind men in Krank's service, he strikes out in pursuit, willing to stop at nothing.'The City of Lost Children' is part "Frankenstein," part "Oliver Twist" and part 'Labyrinth (1986),' a bewildering amalgamation of fantasy concepts, and an exceptional master-class in cinematography and set-design.
It certainly makes for an interesting film.It's kind of strange to see Ron Pearlman in such an out of place role, but then again, his character One was a man that truly matched his real-life predicament.
This is an excellent film from Jeunet and Caro with thier previous film - Delicatessen only half the film the city is (Although it is still a good film.) I would recommend people to watch it twice as you can then really absorb the visuals and the storyline (which may be seen by some to lack coherence.) Daniel emilforks character Krank is often labeled a monster but as he says it's not his fault, he was created.
It manages to capture our wildest dreams on film, the fantasies we only thought we could imagine in our sleep has in fact been crammed up into this brilliant, evokative, haunting masterpiece, thanks to some stunning (FASCINATING!) set decorations -which of course was ignored by the Oscar Academy- a fantastic cast: in particular giant Ron Perlman, young Judith Vittet, Daniel Emilfork, Dominique Pinon (who plays at least 5 characters), and the most incredible little group of kids.
Shortly afterwards he teams up with orphan Miette (Crumb in the subtitles) and they set out to rescue Denree and the other stolen children.This film is an utter delight with a surreal look and a cast of grotesque characters together with an enjoyable story.
The world in which this is set has a distinct yellow/green look and none of the adult characters are exactly attractive in the Hollywood sense, this is helped by the way they are filmed.
Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody looking for something very different.These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles..
Step right this way into the nightmare/fantasy world of this truly bizarre, freaky and phenomenally weird tale that comes at you straight from hell.Very quirky and curious, The City Of Lost Children (TCOLC) is definitely something of an original (it's actually hard to believe this is even possible in this "been there/seen that" age of filmdom that we live in these days).You can be sure that this is one far-out fairy tale that you'll never, ever see coming to you from the likes of Disney Studios.This undoubtedly strange, and, yes, unsettling little tale is sure to leave quite a lasting impression on the viewer long after the closing credits have rolled on by.Directed with a truly astonishing visual flair, TCOLC puts a unique, new twist (that's very dark and surreal) on the familiar "Mad Scientist" theme.
(This is the sort of twisted twist that seems to work its magic about 75% of the time) Set in an awesome "otherworld" of shadows and light, TCOLC's story revolves around the doings of Dr. Krank (a total mad scientist, if you've ever seen one) who has his team of cloned henchmen abduct the young children of the city whom he wants for his experiments.Using a most unusual contraption, Krank (who is aging prematurely) then attempts to steal the dreams of these innocent babes because he, himself, cannot dream.This is one of those films where trying to go into any great detail about its story would only be an utter waste of time.
You really need to see TCOLC for yourself to fully appreciate it for the richness of vision that it has to offer.On the down side - 2 of TCOLC's drawbacks were that its story has a tendency to be quite uneven at times and actor Ron Perlman (whom I do not like) has a substantial role in the scheme of things.These 2 deficits are actually quite minor, though, in comparison to the up-side of this mighty weird and entertaining gem..
The film is called " The City of Lost Children " or course in French it's La cite' Des enfants perdus.
As a lover of fairy tales and stories, this movie suited me perfectly - in it's characters, plot, setting, and even dialogue it is like a modern dark tale of family, betrayal, and loyalty.The actors are wonderful, especially in such a range of unusual characters (the Octopus sisters, the cyclops men, even all the trapped children), and the script is well written: the tale Irvin tells of the origin of himself and the clones in spell-binding, and One and Miette's conversations are charming.I highly recommend this movie for anyone who loves dark fantasy stories..
Great antidote for to many syrupy sweet kid flicks, there is more to discover every time I watch it.This film takes you deep into the bowels of a surrealistic bizarre little world filled with the strange architecture of an artist gone slightly insane.The sets are just fantastic and the creepy weird characters that populate the city fit the atmosphere created just fine.
Also, much like other movies that improve after first viewing, this is one of those movies that makes the top ten on many film-buff's top movies list.The following movies/stories have major similarities to City: Brazil, for its own lack of focus and its similar retro-futuristic feel (note the hyper-intelligent brain's look as well as the cyclops'); Dark City, for its similar cinematographic style; Frankenstein, for its "scientist creates something awful and tragic" theme; and Amelie, for its imaginative similarities stemming from the director in common.
I have now along with my two Children have seen the movie over 100 times and although I do not speak French no longer need the Subtitles.
This is the sort of experience that I watch movies for, and so the film gets a huge thumbs up on that front.The plot follows a man named Krank.
Personally I'd just like to mention Gaultier's costumes for it - they fit perfectly to the characters and support the general comic book/children's book/silent movie/Expressionistic/Surrealistic/Film Noir/Farce Etc. feel.It's not everyone's cup of tea, probably because it's so open for personal interpretation and dependent on (I believe) a certain level of maturity.
The City of Lost Children is a film about a child's fantasy.
Personal Rating: 10 out of 10 Jean-Pierre Jeneaut, one of the most important French and worldwide directors, directed this wonder called La Cité des enfants perdus, with this movie he opens the door of love to all the sci-fi fans out there, making the perfect mixture between science fiction and love stories.
The problems with movies where children have a very important part, is the children's acting, and City of the lost children has a 9 year old Miette as main character.
Then the dream transforms into a nightmare.In La cité des enfants perdus (The City of Lost Children), Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caros' latest movie, an evil man and his companions, consisting of a sect of blind men and a brain in an aquarium (!), kidnap children to steal their dreams.
Caro and Jeunet are two people with extremely strange minds (you should see their previous movie "Delicatessen", then you'll know what I'm talking about) but somehow it all works out to the best.
Even "Dark City" - the movie that most people thought was artsy and atmospheric, looks like a rip-off of this one.
Beyond its near-perfect film making mastery and its unique baroque touch (OK, Gilliam and Welles are not far away..) lies a poisonous treasure no other movie ever gave to me like this one did : viewing my child's dreams and terrors right there on the screen...Thank you Jeunet & Caro.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, perhaps better known for 'Delicatessen' & ('sans' Caro) 'Alien: Resurrection', have here created a mini-masterpiece, a film that is not only visually stunning but is also deeply involving, touching, macabre, & probably the most wonderfully inventive & imaginative film I've ever seen.If ever a dream was made real & filmed, then cross-bred with cinematic conventions such as plot & characterisation I think this film would come very close to the end product.
On the other hand this is definitely one of those movies which benefits from repeated viewings: it has such richness, depths & attention to detail that you will almost certainly notice something different or view it in a different light every time you watch it.The sumptuous cinematography is one of the outstanding features of this gem of a film - visually this is stunning: every scene looks like a painting; dark & moody but at the same time vividly colourful.However, what I most love about this film is it's wonderfully imaginative inventiveness.
Maybe I should just learn French & watch the original language version - this film is so good it's almost worth doing just for that reason!There is so much to this movie I found it hard to describe, & even as I was writing it all sounded a bit like a load of French arty-farty weirdness.
The story, simple and yet convoluted as befits a fantasy fairy tale, follows the fantastic, stone-faced Ron Perlman through the clammy greens and sticky browns of a nightmare world, inhabited by a delightful collection of freaks and evildoers, trying to save the angelic child from the crazed Emilfork and his City of Lost Children, hampered at every turn by the gang of street urchins and their wicked siamese Fagins.
It´s like watching an haunted fairy-tale sometimes.This is one of the best fantasy movies ever.
..) time, the subtitles become less important and you are able to spend up to 90% of your energy watching the visual (instead of reading the text).Once the language barrier has been broken down, this film manifests as it truly is: breathtaking cinematography, insanely detailed production design, beyond Oscar acting (from children as well as adults), captivating story, and other wise all around cool flick!I feel for these people; Ron Perlman as "One" the Forrest Gump-like strong man in search of his adopted "little brother." Judith Vittet as "Miette" the street thief who's been forced to mature way too fast for her tender years.
I highly recommend this movie for fans of visually stunnning films like Kurosawa's Dreams and Blade Runner..
It is like the director wanted us to see how stunning a visual experience he can bring, and how "wacky and crazy" characters he can imagine, and the result was a movie in which every scene lasts is too annoying to bear, where the caracters are some of the most pathetic and irritating ever seen on film.