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The Return of Martin Guerre

The Return of Martin Guerre

List Price: $39.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Yes this story is descended from reals events many centuries
Review: ...Ago ! MARTIN GUERRE ( WAR MARTIN ) was existe many time ago ! And this story of this movie sentimentalize the inquisition period, the differents credences of our french ancestors who could are able to succeed some incomprehension by the ancient people and when a man as much as MARTIN GUERRE was able to to store the wole of privacy from a frend during the war who has never loved his wife and throught that has leave behind she, thus, subssequently he can appropriate the idendity of his bad friend which is not able to love his wife ! But when his family and more its adbenturess enemy past begain to discern the subterfuge, it's too late for them, because MARTIN GUERRE with his lage, big capacity to store evry events can frustrate them easily ! But his illegitimate wife begin to be scared ! And this is the debut of the end for the poor MARTIN GUERRE who's not a coward, he accept his destiny ! VERY GOOD DVD FILM !

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: American Remakes
Review: American film makers are unable to capture the glory, passion and conflict of the stories they try to copy. Somersby is a luke warm attempt at this timultuous Depardieu masterpiece. It obviously disturbs me when other reviewers don't know which one came first. (When in doubt .... usually the French film.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great AP European History Accompanyment
Review: Attention AP Euro teachers out there: This is a GREAT movie that fits into the scheme of the Renaissance and France. Show it to your class and ask them to write a little paragraph on it for extra credit. The Return of Martin Guerre is a timeless movie that "the boys won't understand, but the girls will" - quote from G.W. Whitton.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Moving True Story
Review: Daniel Vigen directs this touching 1983 film on the real events surrounding the life of Martin Guerre in late 16th century France. A moving story brought to life by the great acting of Gerard Depardieu and a strong supporting cast.

The film involves the life of a well-to-do farmer in 16th century France. Bored with farming and searching for adventure, Martin Guerre, a man who cares little for women or husbandry, goes off to war and leaves behind his beautiful wife (Nathalie Baye.) Years have past and the wife lives a solitary life of chastity while she awaits the return of her husband. An impostor (Gerard Depardieu) comes back as Martin Guerre to embrace his wife but suspicions abound. How long will this clever plot work? Will the wife find out? What happens to the real Martin Guerre?

The reviewers who claim this story to be fiction or exaggerated are clearly unfamiliar with French history as this story is completely true: all of the minute details of this tragic story were preserved in a 16th century court manuscript that recorded all of the testimonies and the verdict of the court. This touching film follows the lives of real historical characters who, although simple late Rennaissance peasants, risked the scorn of their peers and the infliction of serious criminal penalties for true love: it's a moving tragedy to watch. The story was well adapted to the screen and has good acting. If you're not into the medieval scene, you can watch the Americanized second-rate version of the story in the 1993 film 'Sommersby' with Richard Gere and Jodi Foster.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stand-Out performances in this true story!
Review: Gérard Dépardieu is exquisite in this true tale of medieval identity theft. Nathalie Baye is excellent in her role as an ingenue who allows herself to believe in a man who she knows is lying to her.

The story flows well and the cinematography is great. The film rises above all expectations and is in a league of its own!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stand-Out performances in this true story!
Review: Gérard Dépardieu is exquisite in this true tale of medieval identity theft. Nathalie Baye is excellent in her role as an ingenue who allows herself to believe in a man who she knows is lying to her.

The story flows well and the cinematography is great. The film rises above all expectations and is in a league of its own!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stand-Out performances in this true story!
Review: Gérard Dépardieu is exquisite in this true tale of medieval identity theft. Nathalie Baye is excellent in her role as an ingenue who allows herself to believe in a man who she knows is lying to her.

The story flows well and the cinematography is great. The film rises above all expectations and is in a league of its own!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Return of Martin Guerre is a wonderful romantic film.
Review: Gerard Depardieu is terrific as is Nathalie Baye. This true story in 16th century France about a insecure man who leaves home shortly after marrying and returns nine years later a strong and loving husband. See this film, if you like it, you'll also like "Jean de Florette."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Why, O Why
Review: Great movie, concur with the other comments, but what moron decided to cut the beautiful love scene between Depardieu and Baye from the DVD (the one just before he gets arrested the 2nd time). The perpetrator should be flayed and hanged and everybody who bought the DVD should be provided with a free replacement that includes this scene to compensate for the emotional anguish at seeing this jewel damaged by an incompetent, hypocritical editor.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Medieval verismilitude....
Review: I bought "The Return of Martin Guerre" because I am a history buff, and the film had been described by a leading historian as the most accurate film one could find depicting the life of the middle class in Medieval France. The story line has been redone by Jody Foster and cast in post-Civil War Virginia, but this film is head and shoulders above the remake. If you can't understand French, read the subtitles and watch it more than once.

The setting is a small village in France during the late Middle Ages. The tale centers on a soldier, Martin Guerre played by Gerard Depardieu (in his younger slimmer body), who returns home after years of absence. He renews his relationship with the wife he deserted (or rather begins again since his former relationship left much to be desired). His years away have made him a better person than the callow youth he was when left the village seeking adventure. He has become a loving husband and a hard worker, and discordance seems a thing of the past.

After much hard work, one day, he asks his family to relinquish a parcel of land he says rightfully belongs to him. This request disturbs the family who had assumed he was gone for good and would never assume ownership of the land. Their greed leads them to begin a court proceeding against him charging him as an imposter who has no right to the land.

I found the legal angles of the story quite intriging. It was illuminating to discover there were laws and jurisprudence as well as thoughtful judges during this period. The "humanist" movement had begun, so there were newer provisions for protecting individuals from the group. The contrast of these provisions with the archaic punishments that date from an earlier period is instructive.


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