Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!oscar
From: oscar@utcsrgv.UUCP (Oscar M. Nierstrasz)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: The Return of Martin Guerre
Message-ID: <2387@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Oct-83 20:46:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2387
Posted: Sat Oct  1 20:46:15 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Oct-83 09:41:17 EDT
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 31

Return of Martin Guerre, The  (Vigne, Daniel; France; 1983; 110m)
***

I have mixed feelings about this one.

It's a great story: in 1542 a young woman  is  abandoned  by  her
husband.   Eighteen  years later he returns--civilised, literate,
compassionate.  Husband and wife fall  in  love.   Martin  Guerre
tries  to  claim  his inheritance.  His uncle and other villagers
are suspicious.  Is he *really* Martin Guerre?  All sorts of fun-
ny little things don't quite jive.  Harassment and *three* trials
follow.  Martin Guerre defends himself brilliantly ...

The acting is marvelous.  Gerard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye  are
fabulous  in the lead roles and the supporting cast is wonderful.
The film is beautifully made -- a real joy to watch.

So why am I left a little cold by this movie?  I'm not sure,  but
I  think  it's  because  I have the impression of being told: "In
1542 this happened." After having this  bizarre  tale  unfold,  I
don't  feel  like I take much away with me.  It's a hard position
to defend, however, since it smacks of wanting a  "moral"  or  an
explicit resolution, which I don't really believe in.

A minor complaint about Gerard Depardieu overkill:  he's  in  too
many  French  movies  nowadays.   If  I see him do his "civilised
peasant" routine again, I'll plotz!

Go see it.  It's good.

Oscar Nierstrasz @ utzoo!utcsrgv!oscar