The Hour of the Pig (1993)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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:

Albertius: In a world where nothing is truly reasonable, nothing is truly mad.

Soundtrack:

Quant Voi en la Fin D'este

Classic tale of Good vs. evil

Firstly, this movie is based on true legal cases during the 15th century which makes it intriguing from the get go. It is based on Richard Cortois, played by Colin Firth, an Advocate who leaves a practice in Paris, to seek the simple country life in a village named Abbeville. What he finds is a quite different story. Country law applies to both man and beast and that is where much of the fun unfolds. The story centers mainly around the case against a pig accused of killing a Jewish child. Courtois, at first, finds the case a bit ridiculous, but finds that as the defense Advocate, he must represent the pig. He is also solicited by the pig's owner to try the case "as the pig is everything to them". As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that there is more here than meets the eye. The case becomes a symbol of maintaining order in the little country town. Courtois attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery and finds that other children have similiarly gone missing over the last year. He is provided a hint by a client tried for witchery saying "Look to the boy, Maitre". It is a great film on many levels and provides quite a bit of comic relief during the many trial sequences. Ian Holm, as the priest who has his own defination of good-which includes trysts with many of his lady parishoners, gives a worthy performance as does Nicole Williamson as the corrupt Seigneur. It is Colin Firth who shines in his wonderful portrayal of Richard Cortois, the one driving force of nobility and honor in the town rotten to the core with evil.