MovieChat Forums > Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (2009) Discussion > dream sequence or not?

dream sequence or not?

posted 16 years ago by matthias-locker
5 replies | jump to latest

It might be an obvious question, but when Juliette sees her mother after all the years, the mother just suddenly wakes up from her memory loss and recognises Juliette, taking her into her arms. Then her memory switches off again and the mom chases her away, asking what this woman was doing in her arms.

I really had the feeling this was a dream sequence in Juliette's head - maybe something that she really longed for - landing her into her mom's arms. I know this would probably not be the type of movie for this kind of effect - but it seemed strange to me that the mom would switch her memory on and back off so suddenly.

Any ideas on this?

[–] scissorhands__emily 16 years ago

I thought it was just a part of the mother's illness. Perhaps because she hadn't seen Juliette in so long, it triggered her memory to when she was a child. Then when Juliette actually put her arms around her it triggered a bad reaction where she subsequently kicked her out of the room. I don't remember if they said what the mother's illness was but probably something like dementia.

[–] howdytwo 16 years ago

The mother clearly was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She shows classic symptoms.

[–] Writ_in_Water 16 years ago

Some dementia patients do have episodes just like that, w/ strongly emotional memories rising to the surface like bubbles, which then burst just as suddenly. I think the meaning of the scene was her mother's basic longing, and long-buried love, for her, which she could only express once her more shallow, socially-appropriate feelings had been swept away by her disease. At heart she still loves and admires her oldest daughter, the doctor, maybe more than her youngest (which is why she hugs Juliette and asks her to "take me home").

[–] TheRationalist 16 years ago

I felt that it was real...people with alzheimer kinds of conditions have flashes of clarity, and I thought the shock or surprise of seeing Juliette affected the mother. See the movie Away From Her.

My favorite opera is Die Valkure. I've always loved horses.

[–] matthias-locker 16 years ago

Thanks for all the clarifications - it all makes more sense to me now.