Pola X

Pola X is a 1999 French romantic drama film directed by Leos Carax and starring Guillaume Depardieu, Yekaterina Golubeva and Catherine Deneuve.  The film is loosely based on the Herman Melville novel Pierre: or, The Ambiguities.  It revolves around a successful young novelist who is confronted by a woman who claims to be his lost sister, and the two begin a romantic relationship.  The film title is an acronym of the French title of the novel, Pierre ou les ambiguïtés, plus the Roman numeral "X" indicating the tenth draft version of the script that was used to make the film. 

The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.  Pola X has been associated with the New French Extremity. 

Plot
Pierre (Guillaume Depardieu) lives with his sister Marie (Catherine Deneuve) in a chateau in Normandy by the riverside of the Seine.  They are very beautiful, rich, carefree and they like themselves.  Every morning, Pierre leaves on the inherited bike of his father to visit Lucie, his fiancée.  One night, Marie announces to Pierre that she arranged the date for his marriage to Lucie.  Pierre leaves to announce the good news to his fiancée.  On the way, in the forest, a funereal beauty appears.  She speaks with a strong accent from the countries of the East: "Pierre...you are not the only child, I am your sister, Isabelle."  A passionate incestuous relationship will ensue. 

Cast

 Guillaume Depardieu as Pierre
 Yekaterina Golubeva as Isabelle
 Catherine Deneuve as Marie
 Delphine Chuillot as Lucie
 Laurent Lucas as Thibault
 Patachou as Margherite
 Petruta Catana as Razerka
 Mihaella Silaghi as The Child
 Sharunas Bartas as The Chief
 Samuel Dupuy as Fred
 Mathias Mlekuz as TV presenter
 Dine Souli as Taxi driver
 Miguel Yeco as Augusto
 Khireddine Medjoubi as Cafe owner's son
 Mark Zak as Romanian friend
 Anne Kanis as Chef's wife (Anne Richter)
 Till Lindemann as drummer
 Christoph Schneider as drummer

Soundtrack
The soundtrack was produced by Scott Walker and features some instrumental tracks by him, as well as contributions by Sonic Youth and Bill Callahan, who also has a cameo appearance in the film. 

Alternative version
An alternate longer TV version entitled "Pierre ou les ambiguïtés", edited in three episodes with an additional 40 minutes of footage, was shown for the first time on 24 September 2001 on Arte German-French TV channel.  The episodes were titled A la lumière, A l'ombre des lumières and Dans le sang. 

Carax edited the TV version along the lines of serials from his childhood, in particular Vidocq.  The new scenes in the alternative version were produced during the original shoot with extra money raised by producer Bruno Pesery to allow them to exceed their contractually agreed 140 minute running time.  The new sequences explore the dreams of Peter and his relationship with his mother, sister and fiancee.  In an interview with Jacques Morice, Carax stated that, "it is not an 'extended version' or a 'final version' of the film Pola X, but a different proposition for television." 

See also
 List of mainstream movies with unsimulated sex

References

External links
 
 
 

Category:1999 films
Category:1990s romantic drama films
Category:French films
Category:French romantic drama films
Category:Swiss films
Category:Swiss drama films
Category:German films
Category:German drama films
Category:German romance films
Category:Erotic drama films
Category:Japanese films
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Japanese romantic drama films
Category:French-language films
Category:Films directed by Leos Carax
Category:Films based on works by Herman Melville
Category:Films set in France
Category:Films shot in France
Category:Films shot in Germany
Category:Films shot in Paris
Category:Incest in film
Category:New French Extremity films