The little German girls of Mädchen in Uniform bear only the slightest trace of femininity in their physiques and expressions. They are really still children, authentic children […] For my part, I believe that the direction of Mädchen in Uniform is an absolute masterpiece of tact and measure…
Colette nous parle de Jeunes filles en uniforme, “Pour vous”, 5 May 1932

In 1932, Colette wrote the French subtitles for the German film Mädchen in Uniform, adapted by the Austrian director Léontine Sagan from the play Ritter Nérestan (1930) by Christa Winsloe. Colette received an invitation from the French distributor and was undoubtedly tempted by the financial rewards, but accepted the commission only after viewing the film and judging it to be well made.
Colette confirms her interest in the world of the moving image. However, the similarities between the film and Claudine, her well-known series of novels set in a boarding school, did not go unnoticed. Both contained lesbian connotations and enjoyed long-lasting popularity.
The relationship between literature and cinema, in this instance, is not limited to the writing of the subtitles, but is more complex. As far as publicity is concerned, the transgressive air surrounding Colette and several of her earlier works was superimposed on the marketing of Mädchen in Uniform, which is one of the fundamental titles in the history of gay and lesbian cinema. The collaboration between Colette and the cinema thus accompanied the release of a film with lesbian connotations and the prominent displaying of the author’s name undoubtedly contributed to the film’s favourable reception in France.

Paola Palma