Madame Bovary (1991)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Claude Chabrol (writer)
Gustave Flaubert (novel)

Release Date:

25 December 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In nineteenth-century France, the romantic daughter of a country squire (Emma Rouault) marries a dull country doctor (Charles Bovary)...

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Boredom | Clubfoot | Seduction | Normandy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Isabelle Huppert	...	Emma Bovary
Jean-François Balmer	...	Le docteur Charles Bovary
Christophe Malavoy	...	Rodolphe Boulanger
Jean Yanne	...	M. Homais - le pharmacien
Lucas Belvaux	...	Leon Dupuis
Christiane Minazzoli	...	La veuve Lefançois
Jean-Louis Maury	...	Merchant Lheureux
Florent Gibassier	...	Hippolyte
Jean-Claude Bouillaud	...	Le père Rouault - un paysan - le père d'Emma
Sabeline Campo	...	Felicité
Yves Verhoeven	...	Justin
Marie Mergey	...	La mère Bovary - la mère de Charles
François Maistre	...	Lieuvain - le conseiller de la préfecture
Thomas Chabrol	...	Le vicomte
Phillippe Abitol
Henry Ambert
Jean-Marie Arnoux
Henri Attal	...	Maltre Hareng
Gilette Barbier	...	Natasie
Dominique Clément	...	Madame Homais
Olga Colin
Claire Dalsace
Catherine Deville
Etienne Draber	...	Maitre Guillaumin
Julien Dubois
Pierre-François Dumeniaud	...	Hivert
William Clément
Michel Dupuy
Marie Guyot
Jean Joulin
Jean-Jacques Lagarde
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing		(as Louis de Lancquesaing)
René Marjac
Pierre Martot
Bernard Mazzinghi
Mona Muche
Christine Paolini	...	Mère Roler
Claude Pascadel
Christian Paumelle
Valérie Soudant
Tina Sportolaro
André Thorent	...	Dr. Canivet
Aleksandr Vatkovic
Philippe Verquin
Dominique Zardi	...	Blind Man
Jacques Dynam	...	L' abbé Bournisien
François Périer	...	Récitant / Narrator (voice)
Pierre Vielhescaze

Directed by
Claude Chabrol

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Claude Chabrol		writer
Gustave Flaubert		novel

Produced by
Marin Karmitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean-Michel Bernard
Matthieu Chabrol
Maurice Coignard

Cinematography by
Jean Rabier

Film Editing by
Monique Fardoulis

Production Design by
Michèle Abbé-Vannier

Set Decoration by
Jacques Mollon

Costume Design by
Corinne Jorry

Makeup Department
Jean-Pierre Berroyer	....	hair stylist
Sandrine Coraux	....	hair stylist
Sandrine Coraux	....	makeup artist
Catherine Demesmeaker	....	makeup artist
Elisabeth Perchet	....	hair stylist
Elisabeth Perchet	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Yvon Crenn	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cécile Maistre	....	assistant director
Alain Wermus	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Brigitte Grynblat	....	sound editor
André Naudin	....	foley artist
Gadou Naudin	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Cendrine Dedise	....	assistant camera
Jean-Marc Rabier	....	assistant camera
Alain Tanguy	....	electrician
Michel Thiriet	....	camera operator

Music Department
Dominique Zardi	....	composer: song "La chanson d'Emma"

Other crew
Aurore Chabrol	....	script supervisor
Eva Simonet	....	press attache

Production Companies

• CED Productions
• Club des Investissments
• Conseil General de L'Eure
• Conseil Régional de Haute Normandie
• France 3 Cinéma
• MK2 Productions

Distributors

• Kulturföreningen Kedjan (1993) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (1993) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Sandrews (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1991) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Koch Lorber Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion
• Profilmar P.C. (Spain)
• United Films (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bande rythmo  post-synchronisation
• D.C. Audiovisuel  sound re-recording
• Eurocitel  titles
• Matériel Cinécam  camera systems
• Studios de Billancourt  auditorium
• Studios de Billancourt  editing studio
• Transpalux  electrical equipment

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-13 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Lyons-la-Forêt, Eure, France

Company:

CED Productions

Trivia:

In its original French version, one of the masculine voices overheard by Emma during the great Bail sequence is director Claude Chabrol's voice saying: "Mais qu'il en soit fait selon votre desir, ma chere... Lucien!".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pourquoi (pas) le Brésil (2004)

Soundtrack:

Sur le beau danube bleu

Good but lacks appeal

Isabelle Huppert plays the part very coldly, which makes the story more distant. She seems to view romantic sexual pleasure as something to be acquired instead of experienced. The medical scenes, however, are very well done and almost shocking in the staid context of the film's sensationless depiction of marital infidelity. Other Bovarys (Jennifer Jones and Frances O'Connor) have been much more sensual, whereas Isabel is pretty but it never seems that having sexual intercourse with her would be fun. Sorry to put it so crudely, but I always thought that sexual attraction was the point of the story, and also the source of its tragedy.