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General Review
This is one of Depardieu's most critically acclaimed 'art house' roles, and one for which he is universally admired. It's a great production all around. The casting is terrific -- with the actors genuinely fitting the sixteenth-century, small village setting. In fact the atmosphere of such a village -- the intimacy with which the villagers live their lives -- is a bit of a revelation in this day and age when one hardly knows one's neighbors. The story is not frenetically paced, it has a mellow first half, but by the time doubt is raised about Martin the viewer is fastened to their seat. The screenplay, and actors, do a marvelous job of keeping you in suspense until the last minute. Much of this credit goes to Depardieu, who pulls off a great feat here (see below). This film won a lot of awards and it's no wonder. The direction is amazing, the art direction and cinematography create visions that are right out of sixteenth century paintings. The costuming assists this to a large extent. There's a scene where Martin is showing his wife how to write and in her head scarf and dress the scene looks like a Vermeer (see our pic pages). Overall, a beautiful, dramatic film and one of the absolute best of Depardieu's French films. A must see.
Depardieu Review
This film, shot in the early 80's, has a fully mature Depardieu, already an old hand at the film business. His solid physicality and golden-haired charm work perfectly in the setting and with the tale. You really are not sure whether or not he is Martin Guerre until the very end because he is so convincingly sincere and so affable. He puts you, the viewer, in exactly the same conundrum that his wife and many of the villagers face in the movie. They're pretty sure he's Martin, and they want to believe him, but there's just the slightest room for doubt. I love the scenes at the beginning of this film where Martin is reunited with the villagers. Depardieu spends time on screen just laughing and it feels completely real. His relationship with his wife is touching and romantic. He's full of fire in the trial scenes. Depardieu in peak form.
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