The Mad Women's Ball

Le Bal des folles

Eugénie Cléry appears to hallucinate others in her presence. (0:03 0:17)

Her grandmother asks Eugénie, "You were really at the funeral of this Victor Hugo, weren’t you?" (0:03)

Eugénie tells her brother Théophile, "I see others... a young woman’s been speaking to me... asking for my help..." (0:18)

Eugénie tells her grandmother, "Grandpa’s the one who told me." (0:22)

Eugénie tells Théophile, "Not the Salpêtrière asylum. Théophile, not Salpêtrière." (0:26)

Head nurse Geneviève Gleizes tells patient Eugénie, "Now it’s up to Dr. Charcot." (0:28)

Chaotic room of patients. (0:30)

Another patient tells Eugénie, referring to patient Louise, "She’s a nutcase." (0:31)

Louise tells Eugénie, "Henriette, the one getting up, is depressed... Therese... pushed her husband into the Seine in a jealous rage... Denise... she’s nuts, but don’t worry..." (0:32)

Eugénie asks another patient, "Was that Charcot?"
Patient Thérèse: ”We’ve never seen Master Charcot here.” (0:34)

Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot, referring to Louise: "Introducing a patient with acute symptomatic hysteria. I will therefore proceed to the hypnotic stage..." (0:35)

Gleizes tells Louise, "Dr. Charcot is very happy." (0:39)

Her father, Dr. Gleizes, asks Geneviève, "Opisthotonos?"
Geneviève: ”Under hypnosis.”
Dr. Gleizes: ”Charcot may be triggering nerve activity during his session. That would explain the hysteria.”
Dr. Gleizes: ”... Salpêtrière... Charcot should rely on you.”
”Intense isn’t a symptom.” (0:42)

Geneviève tells Eugénie, "Stop, or it’s ether for you."
Eugénie: “You will call me crazy...” (0:44)

Physician Gilles de la Tourette tells physician Dr. Babinsky, referring to an older patient, "Laudanum every night..."
Referring to Eugénie: ”Her father had her committed.”
Eugénie: ”When a vision of the Virgin Mary was seen in Lourdes, nobody was bothered by that, were they?”
Babinsky tells Geneviève, referring to Eugénie: ”Treatment number two: hydrotherapy.”
”Hysterical.” (0:48)

Eugénie subjected to hydrotherapy. (0:50)

Louise tells Eugénie, "Don’t worry." (0:54)

An older patient tells Eugénie, "Don’t worry, my dear..." (0:57)

Geneviève tells Dr. Gleizes, "I was suddenly worried about you."
Dr. Gleizes, referring to Geneviève’s sister, ”Blandine’s dead.”
”Those women have sent you mad.” (1:08)

One doctor tells another, referring to patient Louise, "An attack under hypnosis: lateral hemiplegia, right side."
Eugénie tells the doctors, ”You’re driving her mad.”
Jules renders Eugénie unconscious with a volatile anesthetic. (1:13)

Charcot tells Geneviève, "Watch over my patients instead."
”We’ll try magnet therapy next week.”
Geneviève: ”Denise Platel, feeding herself, but still refuses to speak.”
Charcot: ”Aphasia. What treatment?”
Geneviève: ”Valerian and ether by uterine catheter.”
Charcot: ”One less dose of ether a day.” (1:15)

Nurse Jeanne tells Eugénie, "The old Salpêtrière cells." (1:17)

Jeanne tells Eugénie, "Everyone knows my mother was mad." (1:28)

Jeanne tells patient Marguerite, "You’re doing this to get ether." (1:31)

Geneviève tells Jeanne, "I’m going to tell Dr. Charcot immediately." (1:34)

Geneviève tells Charcot, referring to Eugénie, "I fear she’ll have a stroke."
Charcot: ”I’m responsible for my patients.” (1:35)

Thérèse tells Marguerite, "In two hours you won’t know who’s mad and who isn’t." (1:40)

Jules: "Welcome to the Salpêtrière Hospital and to our annual ball... Dr. Charcot and I... women patients are interesting...Some are psychotic, others are compulsive liars, maniacs, melancholics, or simply idiotic... all real, diagnosed... they are all patients of the finest French scientist of our age... Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot." (1:42)

Jeanne tells Geneviève, "You're mad."
Geneviève: ”It’s hard to know who’s mad tonight, Jeannej.” (1:52)