Cast:
Juliette Binoche...............Madame La
Daniel Auteuil.................Jean
Emir Kusturica.................Ariel Neel Auguste
Michel Duchaussoy..............The Governor
Philippe Magnan................President Venot
Christian Charmetant...........Supply and Secretariat Officer
Philippe De Janerand...........Customs Officer
Reynald Bouchard...............Louis Ollivier
Ghyslain Tremblay..............Monsieur Chevassus
Marc Beland....................Soldier Loic
Yves Jacques...................The Rear Admiral
Maurice Chevit.................The Governor's Father
Catherine Lascault.............La Malvilain
Dominique Quesnel..............The Proprietor
Anne-Marie Philipe.............The Governor's Wife
Directed by: Patrice Leconte Written by: Claude Faraldo
Rated R for a scene of sexuality and brief violence
Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
"The
Widow of St. Pierre" is a film that at first seems to be a
simple morality tale. However, a feeling kept sneaking up
on me that there was a bit more to the story. Indeed, a powerful
observation of the human condition exists beneath the surface
plot. Compassion is explored in the story to such a depth
that after a while I was struck with the realization that
the movie also explored the varying degrees of obsession.
I wasn't fully cognizant of it until the movie's conclusion.
(I'm slow that way.)
The
story takes place in the 1850's on a small French island off
the coast of Newfoundland. There is a murder. The culprits
are two fishermen who got sloppy drunk and committed the crime,
yet upon sobering up are barely able to remember why. They
are sentenced to die by way of the guillotine. One is killed
prematurely by being belted with a rock. The other is made
to wait until a guillotine is shipped from Guadeloupe. (The
don't have one on the island.)
The
murderer's name is Neel (Emir Kusturica), and he is locked
up as the long trek to transport the guillotine gets under
way. Madame La (Juliette Binoche), the wife of the local military
captain (Daniel Auteuil) holds a degree of compassion for
the prisoner. Her compassion is so strong that we begin to
sense something more potent; a sensual stirring perhaps? She
asks him to assist in the cultivation of her garden, to which
he agrees. Soon after, an unusual change starts to take place.
The criminal begins engaging in all sorts of benevolent acts,
from fixing rooftops to saving a woman's life. He is soon
embraced by the islanders to the point where the town judge
proclaims, "his popularity is a nuisance."
The
movie's exploration of human psychology is much more subtle
than my description makes it sound. The director is Patrice
Leconte, whose films deal with human beings falling victim
to their own obsessions. His past works include "Monsieur
Hire", about a lonely man who is captivated by the woman whose
window faces his, and "The Hairdresser's Husband" about a
man who houses an unusually strong fascination with hair.
The theme of obsession in "The Widow of St. Pierre" is a bit
more subtle, but it's there, and eventually leads to a climax
of amazing power.
There
are two different obsessions here, I think. One takes the
form of a quiet benevolence, as Madame La reaches out to the
condemned man, offering compassion and even a degree of love.
The other belongs to her husband, Jean. He's aware of her
compassion and her need to reach out, yet is never overcome
with any sort of jealousy. He loves and admires her to such
a degree that he shares her trust in this man without question.
The crusade is hers, but his obsession with her kindness propels
him into an inauspicious light with the town leaders. They
believe the stand he takes regarding his prisoner is the result
of his own ethics, and charge him with sedition. But we realize
it has nothing to do with personal ethics or governmental
politics; he takes the stand for his wife. He loves her, cherishes
her, and would do anything to make himself worthy of her love.
The
treasure in watching the movie is how Leconte builds the story's
cogency not by painting the film with broad strokes of narrative
morality, but by softly allowing the camera to study the pain,
compassion, and love as expressed by the people involved.
The movie's emotional power is filtered directly through the
actors' performances, and Binoche, Auteuil, and Kusturica
subtly and beautifully capture the longings of each character.
By the end, the moral implications didn't linger in my thoughts
as much as the sacrifices of those who loved with all their
might.
Copyright
2001 Michael Brendan McLarney Critically
Ill
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