Julie moves through the next section of the movie with the icy efficiency of Michael Corleone. The difference being that Michael acted with cunning to punish his enemies and consolidate his power. Julie acts ruthlessly to protect her state of mind—and on World Mental Health Day, shouldn’t we applaud this?
Speaking of manipulation, this section begins with Olivier going to Patrice’s office to clean out his desk, the contents of which we later find out include not just copies of segments of the symphony, but pictures of Patrice with his mistress Sandrine. I suppose he might be a business partner, so it’s not breaking and entering, but it seems to me that Julie should have been made aware of this visit. The sneaking around adds to the intrigue surrounding this piece of music, which many people seem excessively invested in.
Julie returns home, looking spectacular in a dramatic dark outfit that looks like it includes a cape, seizing the grounds with her rapid strides. She searches out Bernard, who is trimming a hedge. She asks if he did as she asked, to clean out the blue room (which is her daughter’s.) Bernard nods in agreement. As she walks off, Bernard tries to offer condolences. Julie stares back as if she doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
She goes straight to the blue room, one of the wait staff looking up anxiously from the stairs below, and notices that the blue chandelier is still hung up. She angry pulls down a handful of beads and keeps them enclosed in her hand.
Next, she looks through folders, assumedly ones that held sections of the symphony, and seems annoyed that the score is not there. The soundtrack then plays some piano notes of the symphony and Julie moves quickly to the piano, noticing that a fragment of the score is still there. She seems relieved and folds it up. She leaves the folded page on the piano, then rushes off to the kitchen, where she finds the maid Marie crying in the pantry. She asks why she is crying and Marie responds “because you aren’t.” Julie embraces Marie. Marie says “I keep thinking of them. How can I forget?”
Julie moves upstairs to the library. Energy seems to drain from her as she approches it. She can’t even enter all the way, she sits in the doorway, briefly closes her eyes, then looks at the blue beads, which shimmer with blue light on her face. She then hears to sets of voices, the last one saying “this could take awhile.” She turns her head over her shoulder and sees Olivier, blue folder under his arm, coming up the stairs.
The scene is a beautiful contrast of Julie’s attitude and underlying empathy. She keeps trying to push away her care for others and the painful feelings, but they keep finding a way in. She will continue to use her ruthless efficiency to keep them under control.
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