The City of Lost Children (1995): ***

After the critical success of Delicatessen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro paired up again to direct The City of Lost Children (1995). Krank (Daniel Emilfork) is a mad scientist created by an absent genius. Krank is plagued by the fact that he is unable to dream, so he has children kidnapped so he can try to steal their dreams. Strongman One (Ron Perlman) goes on a search for his kidnapped little brother Grub (Joseph Lucien), accompanied by orphan thief Crumb (Judith Vittet). 

Once again, Jeunet and Caro’s film is visually striking. The city is a jigsaw of old metal, bricks and water, parts of old boats and trains make up the environment, with rusty iron catwalks and bridges reaching over the various canals and harbours. It is a world filled with steampunk, biomechanical and bioengineered creations, where anything is possible if you have the know-how. Red and green tones assert themselves almost exclusively throughout: red-brick buildings contrast with the murky green water, a cult gathering is bathed in furnace light and Krank’s laboratory is filled with bright green liquids in various containers. Marc Caro and Jean Rabasse’s production design is very rich; unfortunately the same cannot be said for the narrative. 

Now Delicatessen did not have the strongest world-building, however, the primary focus in that film seemed to be the interaction between the characters. There is a sense that The City of Lost Children wanted to be a vibrant rich world with a thought-provoking plot, regrettably it does not succeed in that respect. Plot elements are brought up, such as the Octopus twins’ (Geneviève Brunet and Odile Mallet) past relationship with circus performer Marcello (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) or the kidnapping cult who use biomechanical eye and earpieces, with little to no depth added to them. The City of Lost Children attempts to be intriguing - raising themes about the creator, the creation, the responsibility they hold and the existence of souls – again it only creates a sense of shallowness about the film. The narrative continues along a steady pace, but it never quite drives the film forward, consequently it feels as though we are seeing one set piece after another.  

Ron Perlman does a fine job as the softly-spoken One (particularly as an actor who doesn’t speak French), relying more on his caring attributes rather than simply being pure muscle. Judith Vittet steals the limelight as the fiery, street smart Crumb, showing the character’s progress from completely steely to more open-hearted, without losing her bite. Daniel Emilfork manages to convey Krank’s resentment and despair, causing him to act wickedly towards his captive children. Dominique Pinon returns with his comedic presence, playing all of the numerous clones that serve Krank, providing much of the slapstick and a source of frustration to Krank. 

The City of Lost Children is just as visually impressive as Delicatessen; however, perhaps in its ambition, it overstretched itself a bit too much.