La veuve de Saint-Pierre (2000)

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Claude Faraldo (writer)
Patrice Leconte (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 April 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A true story of revenge and redemption, fear and forgiveness, and the true meaning of love.

Plot:

In a small French colony, a drunken man kills someone. While a guillotine is being shipped in, he changes, becoming a good and popular man.

Plot Keywords:

Guillotine | Island | Murder | Love | Redemption

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Juliette Binoche	...	Pauline (Madame La)
Daniel Auteuil	...	Jean (The Captain)
Emir Kusturica	...	Ariel Neel Auguste
Michel Duchaussoy	...	The Governor
Philippe Magnan	...	President Venot
Christian Charmetant	...	Supply and Secretariat Officer
Philippe du Janerand	...	Customs Officer
Maurice Chevit	...	The Governor's Father
Catherine Lascault	...	La Malvilain
Ghyslain Tremblay	...	Monsieur Chevassus
Marc Béland	...	Soldier Loïc
Reynald Bouchard	...	Louis Ollivier
Yves Jacques	...	The Rear Admiral
Dominique Quesnel	...	The Proprietor
Anne-Marie Philipe	...	The Governor's Wife

Also Known As:

The Widow of Saint-Pierre (International: English title)
The Widow of St. Pierre (Canada: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality and brief violence.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France | Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Fortress of Louisbourg, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Cinémaginaire Inc.

Trivia:

The ship that brought the guillotine from Martinique was played by the Gazela Primiero, a Portuguese fishing vessel which now lives at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Neel is told he's strong enough to "ramer jusqu'au chez les Anglais", the English subtitles say "row over to Canada" rather than "row over to the English". This introduces an error: both the geography and the dialogue in other scenes make it clear that Newfoundland is meant, but Newfoundland wasn't part of Canada until 1949.

A beautifully austere film about character.

As the best of French cinema does so adroitly, "The Window of Saint-Pierre" tells most of it's story laconically with knowing looks and subtle behaviors while the story it tells is a relentlessly plodding drama of unspoken words and the emotions they evoke. "Widow..." is more about integrity, honor, love, and other intangibles than it is about its relatively simple storyline and the characters involved. A beautifully crafted somber film, "Widow..." is recommended for mature audiences because a measure of maturation is required to appreciate all this austere film has to offer.