Catherine Deneuve never looked more beautiful than she does in this film that hardly anyone has ever heard of, although she seems a little mature to be playing a naïve princess. The costumes and set designs are a feast for the eyes; unlike today's penchant for confining the viewer to little rooms, there are big, sweeping camera movements of castle interiors, gardens, reception halls, and an entire village. This is one expensive-looking film, even looking at the line of women stretching out the castle, all in elaborate costume, is impressive. A cat-shaped throne, red and blue horses and matching coaches, and blue-faced guards are a neat twist. Two things mar the film, however: 1) The songs are neither memorable nor catchy. Maybe the director should have hired an Italian musician.2) The film tries and fails to be a fractured fairy tale with purposely outlandish themes, the most prominent of which is a man's desire to marry his own daughter. Even as a commentary about incest among the nobility the joke falls flat.All in all, one walks away from the film wishing that it had been more than the sum of its parts. If the director had focused on satirizing fairy tales or drawing broad social commentary, the film could have been brilliant. As it is, having been released in 1970, it feels more like the denouement of 1960s film experimentation. And the English version of the film's title could have used better planning.

This is a lovely film of a fairy tale, a french tale that is one of the Cinderella derivations. This one has some dark elements which seem sensible to children, but disturbing to adults, which makes this perfect for film, because it plays on two levels. The production here is aimed squarely at children, and succeeds. The DVD extras tell us that Denueve is still recognized by children as the Princess, and it seems that it remains a favorite experience with most people involved in the making.Adults who have seen Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will recognize many moments of film reference to that story, including the Beast there playing a beastly royal father here. The most magical moment for me in this film is a direct reference to Belle's slow motion run down the stairs. It would have been nicer to see some of these marvelous ideas (the Giant Cat as a throne, the bedspread of grass and flowers) done with a higher budget, and with today's special effects, but children fill in the gaps when they see it, and the cooking scene has a lovely little surprise in the eggs which is charming. The costumes are over the top in the best way, with a special "sky" gown. The castle sets feel a bit cavernous and empty, like, well, sets.Catherine Denueve plays two roles, briefly appearing as her own (re-haired) Mother, and the enchanted Princess. Deneuve was actually a bit old to play a princess, but still exquisitely lovely, and the good fortune here is that by this time in her career her acting has more depth and this benefits her role. She seems to grow up and become more womanly before us. Not a sentimental tale, the ending has some modern surprises which remind us of the timeless nature of the Lilac Fairy, parent child relationships, and unsettling dynamics of relationships. Michel Legrand's dissonant melodies flesh out this feeling. This is lost on the children, of course. So this film is light and pretty, with something for everyone.

I just had to write a correct summary, since the one available was misleading. The movie is about a beautiful princess, which is forced to marry her father. following her fairy godmother advice, she asks her father for unreasonable presents so she could get out of this unholy marriage. first she asks for a dress the color of the sky, but he provides it to her, so she requests a dress the color of the sparkling moon, which he made for her also, and last, a dress made of the sun beams, which surprisingly he's able to provide her too. in her despair, she runs away from the palace, with her three dresses, wearing a donkey skin as disguise and settles in a far off village working as a maid. thats where the love story begins, filled with sweet songs by Cathrine's beautiful voice.

I saw this movie for the first time in the movies when I was a little girl. I never forgot it, I never forgot the main song. For years I tried to find it in the video stores, I wish it was released in DVD. This is a cult-fantasy movie and deserves to be more available to the general public. Nowadays the "fantasy" movies have a lot of silliness and disgusting behavior due to lack of imagination of new filmmakers. Movies like Peau d'ane should not be forgotten and should be re-released so the new generation can learn to appreciate true art. Catherine Deneuve is in the top of her beauty in this movie, the clothes are wonderful, the music unforgettable.