The Hour of the Pig (1993)

Director:

Leslie Megahey

Writer:

Leslie Megahey (written by)

Release Date:

24 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | History | Mystery

Tagline:

When murder is the motive, seduction is the last defense.

Plot:

In medieval France, young lawyer Richard Courtois leaves Paris for the simpler life in the country. However...

Plot Keywords:

France | Gypsy | Animal | Feud | Nudity

Cast

Colin Firth	...	Richard Courtois
Ian Holm	...	Albertus
Donald Pleasence	...	Pincheon
Amina Annabi	...	Samira
Nicol Williamson	...	Seigneur Jehan d'Auferre
Michael Gough	...	Magistrate Boniface
Harriet Walter	...	Jeannine Martin
Jim Carter	...	Mathieu
Lysette Anthony	...	Filette d'Auferre
Sophie Dix	...	Maria
Vincent Grass	...	Bailiff Labatier
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Madame Langlois
Raoul Delfosse	...	Blind George
Justin Chadwick	...	Gerard d'Auferre
Jean-Pierre Stewart	...	Sheriff

Also Known As:

The Advocate

Runtime:

UK:112 min | USA:102 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the epilogue crawl, the character name Mathieu is spelled once correctly, and in a subsequent paragraph as Mathiew.

Quotes:

Richard Courtois: [of the priest's privately-expressed skepticism about witchcraft] Would you say all that in court?
Albertius: Richard, I like it here; it's a very nice living. Having my balls burnt off in public might take some of the pleasure out of it.

Soundtrack:

Quant Voi en la Fin D'este

Great British/European Film

Just watched this film again on video (purchased off Ebay), and this film is simply magical.

I love films of all kinds from fantasy - Holes, Chocolat, Batman, through drama and thrillers, but what I love best is the telling of a story, and the way it's phrased. Hour of the Pig is just that, an excellent story developed in layers, that takes its time, because it does a fantastic job of developing the characters, mostly through the dying art of great dialogue, and some of the best British actors around.

Colin Firth and Ian Holm underpin an excellent cast, rich in dialogue, with a fantastic story. And there's the rub, you have to like stories, as there's very little action, just a fascinating twist through medieval France.

Films like this remind me why I go to the cinema which is where I first saw it over 10 years ago. It's a crime this doesn't have a DVD release.

It never goes for less than £10 secondhand, and often tops £15, for a secondhand VIDEO. Come on, whoever owns the rights to this, and get it out on DVD.