Overview
A whimsical tale of love and transformation unfolds in a magical kingdom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- dreamy
- romantic
- family movie night
- fairy tale marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a beautiful, memorable, and exquisitely realized transfer of a children's fable to the screen.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The impossible dresses, magical cake, donkey skin, and stylized kingdom are presented through elaborate costumes, sets, and musical staging.
The Lily Fairy acts as a social conscience, devising impossible tasks and an escape plan to thwart the king's incestuous marriage proposal.
The princess abandons court life, hides beneath the skin of a prize donkey, and works as a scullery maid before romance restores her social identity.
The imaginary land, ceremonial clothing, magical dresses, and royal settings create an intensely colorful storybook surface.
Films like Donkey Skin, and why
The Slipper and the Rose
Whimsical fairy-tale fantasy, musical storytelling, vivid color, and romantic transformation
The Company of Wolves
European fairy-tale romance with surreal imagery, elaborate costumes, and a gentle moral register
The 10th Kingdom
Stylized musical fantasy combining romance, theatrical production design, and heightened fairy-tale emotion
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
French musical fantasy with ornate visuals, romantic longing, and playful storybook artifice
Movie Details
- Director
- Jacques Demy
- Release Date
- 1970-12-16
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (569)
Cast
- Catherine Deneuve
- Jacques Perrin
- Jean Marais
- Delphine Seyrig
- Fernand Ledoux
- Micheline Presle
- Sacha Pitoëff
- Henri Crémieux
- Pierre Repp
- Louise Chevalier
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Donkey Skin about?
- A visually extravagant French fairy-tale musical follows a princess who escapes an incestuous royal marriage in a donkey-skin disguise and finds love beyond the palace.
- What is Donkey Skin like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Donkey Skin as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Donkey Skin violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Donkey Skin.
- What did critics think of Donkey Skin?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a beautiful, memorable, and exquisitely realized transfer of a children's fable to the screen.
- Which films are like Donkey Skin?
- Films with a similar feel include The Slipper and the Rose, The Company of Wolves, The 10th Kingdom, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
- How long is Donkey Skin?
- Donkey Skin runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Donkey Skin?
- In United States, Donkey Skin streams on Criterion Channel.
