Ma Vie en Rose

      1.      Ludo’s choice of clothing is one of the most important factors in his own search for gender identity, as well as his parents' mounting concern for him. The most prominent scenes in which Ludo engages in drag are the first and last. The first scene of the film with people in it shows the husbands of the three main families in the neighborhood each zipping their respective wives’ dresses, getting ready for the Fabres’ welcoming party. These women all epitomize the stereotypical, obedient, feminine wife. In sharp contrast to these women, Ludo makes his grand entrance to the party wearing his older sister Zoe’s princess attire; at first, everyone applauds, thinking Ludo is Zoe; when they realize it is a boy, they become silent and uncomfortable. In an even bigger contrast, the last scene also includes Ludo cross-dressing, but this time, his reception is more positive: at his masculine female friend’s party, she makes him switch costumes, leaving Ludo with the girl’s frilly dress, which at first angers his mother, but she soon comes to realize that he is still her son, no matter what he wears on his exterior.

      4.   Pam, the French fashion doll and Ludo’s inspiration, appears in the film to help develop Ludo’s fantasies. The rest of the film happens in a very practical, rational, logistical fashion: the sequence of events unfolds, the characters react, and the cycle occurs again. Within the Pam fantasy sequences, however, time and space are irrelevant. Ludo employs these fantasies to escape the torturous reality of his life, over which he has no control. He doesn’t understand why his parents are constantly mad at him, or why the boys (and girls, for that matter) in his class treat him differently, or how any of the bad things happening to his family are his fault. The fantasy of Pam provides Ludo with an opportunity to act, speak, think and dress how he wishes – which is exactly what he does. By the end of the movie, when Ludo’s mother “sees” him climbing up the Pam’s billboard to be with her, Mrs. Fabre truly understands her son’s intentions and desires.