MovieChat Forums > Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (2009) Discussion > Clarification needed (spoilers here!!)

Clarification needed (spoilers here!!)

posted 16 years ago by stenson77
8 replies | jump to latest

I really enjoyed this film, even with the few question marks dotted around the story. I really like it when film makers are not afraid of dealing with very difficult subjects head-on, and this one pulled no punches.

However, one thing I didn't understand was: who exactly knew about the child's illness?

The emotional talk between the two sisters after Lea gets the results from her doctor friend implies strongly that no-one but Juliette knew that her son had a terrible illness. However, the social worker/probation officer woman clearly knew, as she asked Juliette why she never said anything. This means that the information was in the documents about the case, meaning that surely it would have been brought up in court - so how did Juliette's parents and sister not know anything about it?
Also, did Juliette's ex-husband, the child's father, know about it? I find it very difficult to believe that she would simply kill the child without telling her husband.

Of course, maybe I missed something (having seen the film after several glasses of wine!) that explains it all...

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Ismaninb 16 years ago

I am not entirely sure, but I think Juliette discovered Pierre's disease in a very early stage. She quickly kidnapped and murdered her son. It is plausible that the police investigation was not very deep. Juliette refused to say anything. So how could anyone but her know that her son was about to die anyway?
I even doubt that Pierre's father knew about the disease. He had just left Juliette, hadn't he?

[–] ericols 16 years ago

"the social worker/probation officer woman clearly knew, as she asked Juliette why she never said anything"

I disagree. the social care lady just asked why juliette didn't try to defend herself in court, why she didn't say anything in her defense. this certainly doesn't mean that she (the social care lady) knew what could have been said. also, close to the end of the movie juliette herself gives the answer to this question, she says something like: there's no defense or no excuse against death, ie, she didn't say anything in her defense in court because it wasn't important anymore, it wouldn't bring her son back...

"did Juliette's ex-husband, the child's father, know about it? I find it very difficult to believe that she would simply kill the child without telling her husband"

he probably knew about the disease. but remember that juliette admits to having kidnapped the boy. also, the husband gives testimony against her in court "without looking her in the face even once". so, to me it seems he did know about the disease, but of course not that the wife was going to kill his son.

[–] dxgresh 16 years ago

I was confused by this too.

Early in the film, Lea tells Juliette that they adopted their kids not because they couldn't have any of their own, but because she was afraid to give birth, and says that her reasons have to do with what happened with Juliette's son.

Since the only issues that could arise from having your own child vs an adopted child would be genetic, I took that to mean she was afraid any child she and Luc might have together would be at risk for whatever disease affected Juliette's son.

So Lea must've known he was sick, no?

[–] Writ_in_Water 16 years ago

So Lea must've known he was sick, no?

No. Since mental illness is usually genetic, she was afraid a birth child of her own might turn out like Juliette, or that she herself might harm her birth child.

[–] noveltylibrary 16 years ago

Right. And Juliette said Lea didn't have birth children because of what she "did", not because of the child's health.

[–] Leroy_sprung 16 years ago

Nobody knew Pierre was sick except for Juliette. It's as simple as that.

[–] jshoaf 16 years ago

Since Juliette diagnosed the illness fairly early, it may be that it appeared to others that she became unbalanced after giving birth. That may have been her husband's testimony, too. Lea wouldn't have known much about all that, since she was so cut off from the whole situation, but just the idea and the mystery would be enough to spook her about childbirth.