Customer Reviews

The Horseman on the Roof

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"The Horseman on the Roof" opens in Aix-en-Provence in July, 1832, as Austrian secret police hunt down two Italian revolutionaries operating from exile in France. At that time, a huge chunk of northern Italy was under the control of the Austrian Empire, and Metternich's spies regularly scoured Europe sniffing out and assassinating opponents of Austrian rule there. This movie revolves around Angelo Pardi (played by Olivier Martinez), one of the two revolutionaries.

Fleeing from the Austrian agents in Aix, Angelo goes out into rural Provence, where he quickly finds an even worse enemy: a massive cholera epidemic, "the worst in a century", says one village doctor. As the epidemic spreads, mass hysteria follows in its wake. Rural Provencals start to hunt down perceived "empoisonneurs" (poisoners), innocent people accused of contaminating the water (a scene common in French history). Angelo himself is attacked as he drinks water from a fountain while coming into one town. Here Gerard Depardieu makes a nominal appearance as the town's police chief on the run, who says rightly, "The cholera's a bitch, but this is worse." Angelo ends up hiding from the mob in the house of the beautiful Madame de Theus (played by Juliette Binoche).

The main story takes off when the army comes in and moves the entire town out into the countryside to sit in quarantine. There, Angelo runs into some of his exiled Italian friends, who have a dangerous mission for him: break through the quarantine lines (he could be shot for doing it), brave the epidemic, and ride to Milan with two bags of money to help finance a rebellion against the Austrians.

This task would be dangerous enough, but Angelo's chivalry snags him into taking Madame de Theus alongside him on a wild ride in search of her husband, who vanished when the cholera broke out. Does she find him? Does Angelo make it to Italy? Do the Austrian spies come back into play? I'll leave that for you to find out.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau did an outstanding job with this film. The cinematography is superb and includes some stunning shots of the gorgeous landscape of Provence, ranging from the luscious Rhone valley to the majestic Hautes-Alpes. (Yet it also leaves a melancholy aftertaste behind and proves that Provence can be just as miserable a place as anywhere else in Europe.) The acting is convincing, and so is the plot. Five stars and more.

This is such a beautiful movie, it leaves me speechless.
The scenery, the light, what a beautiful country the south of France is. It is a love story that takes place in the mind. No bed scene. But I swear, you won't be bored for a second! If you haven't read the novel (which you should do) you might think this to be some kind of Musketeer-Disney stuff. It isn't - not only because it takes place in another century. There is enough adventure, fighting and horseback riding to make this one a movie for both of you to enjoy, you and your girl. But it also gets so much deeper. The actors show you love can stand the test of time. It can even grow through pain. This one gives you strength and hope that things might get better.

This movie was a rare treat to have seen on the big screen. It showcases Oliver Martinez (Angelo Pardi) and Julliette Binoche (Pauline de Theus) in this engaging tale of romance in the cholera epidemic of 1832.

Rather then get into the specifics of the plot which can be seen in the myriad of other reviews, I want to stress how this movie was only made possible due to the supreme casting by Director Jean-Paul Rappeneau and Producer Rene Cleitman. The choice of Mr. Martinez brought this movie to life. Befroe his death in 1970 Giono said that in the belief of Neo-Realism that the actor be a commoner. While not at that level, Martinez portrays an air that other well known actors are unable to feign.

In addition, Julliette Binoche is able to work with him to the point where we are able to actually see Martinez grow throughout the film. All in all a fantastic watch and the upcoming release on DVD will hopefully bring a few more fans of Rappeneau into the mix.

This would be a 5-star review if only they'd released the uncut version shown everywhere else. The Horseman on the Roof has to be one of the most beautiful looking films I've ever seen, which is odd for a movie about a cholera epidemic.

Set in a beautiful summer in the mid-19th century, it follows Olivier Martinez's Italian in exile as he is chased across France by Austrian agents intent on killing as many Italian rebels as they can only for his pursuers to be outrun by a cholera epidemic that picks off friends and foes. Along the way his path crosses with various victims and survivors - a doctor who teaches him a neat disinfecting trick of setting your hands on fire, a cute governess, Jean Yanne's duplicitous peddler, Gerard Depardieu's paranoid mayor, and most importantly Juliette Binoche, who is determined to find her husband. Naturally they become travelling companions as they try to get through roadblocks and avoid being put into quarantine by the soldiers cordoning off the roads - a virtual death sentence - and eventually nearly become more. The film looks so good in cinemascope and so much of it is terrific than you can just about forgive the fact that the ending is a bit of a washout after everything that's gone before.

A really enjoyable old-fashioned epic, I'd definitely pick this up if it ever turned up on DVD uncut with English subtitles (the Miramax disc is typically cut by 17 minutes thanks to Harvey Scissorhands).

This is a spectacular movie with breath-taking actors (see Olivier Martinez) and scenery. Passion flows with nary a touch between the two main characters, Martinez and the incomparable Juliette Binoche. A must-have for any afficianado of the actors or great French cinema.

The French countryside depicted is incredibly beautiful and serves and an effective relief for the gory aspects of the setting (love, war and survival at the time of a major colera epidemic, which may have killed hundreds of thousand of victims). The acting could not be better, and the movie moves well. The initially "proper" romantic interests of the principles may seem frightfully out of date to the Playboy generation, but this approach adds erotic fervor to later scenes. For history buffs, this is possibly an acurate depiction of the misery and political/economic effects of a major medical emergency in the 19th century, as well as a capsulized veiw of the nationalistic struggles occuring in neghboring Italy. Highly recommended, but the squeemish should be prepared for some unpleasant sights.

Olivier Martinez has been called the French Brad Pitt. How about Juliette Binoche as the French Julia Roberts. Or is that not saying enough in either case?

Well, whatever your opinions of the actors in general, they are perfectly cast in this corker of a romantic adventure. Perfect chemistry between the two stars adds to what already a good, old fashioned high spirited adventure film. They don't make 'em like this anymore--either in this country or in France.

In fact, when you think of current French cinema, you tend to come up with charming, but self-consciously post-modern works like AMELIE or L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE. That kind of nod-and-a-wink filmmaking has its place, and I have nothing but affection for those films, but there's something about good old school stroytelling that can be utterly enthralling. You're actually allowed to get caught up in the tale and to forget that you're in a cinema (or your living room) watching images on film (or videotape or DVD or whatever). What a concept!

I am unfamiliar with most of director Rappeneau's work--although I have heard good things about his version of CYRANO and the celebrated ZAZIE DANS LE METRO. He certainly has a flair for historical romance, so I am now eager to see his treatment of the Edmond de Rostand classic. Or almost anything else he's done for that matter. He appears to have a great visual sense (or knows enough to seek out cinematographers who do). It's hard to think of a more beautifully shot film.

Like most films, HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF is not for everyone. But for lovers of foreign films in general--and of real romantic adventure in particular--this film delivers the goods.

I wrote a review of this film in August of 2000 several years
after seeing it on the big screen. Recently, I rented the
video and over the course of a month, watched it six more
times. Each time I viewed Horseman, I discovered more and
more, the minute details that I just didn't see the first
time through.

Many reviewers have critisized the film for the horror, not
enough action, not enough dialouge, or that Angelo(Olivier
Martinez) was two dimensional. The first thing that I noticed

about Martinez was his gorgeous looks, but as I came to know
the character better, and watched how others interacted with
him, I became more and more engaged with the fun of this
character. I have also read the books that deal with Angelo,
and believe that Martinez captures this character perfectly.

Angelo is a young noble who has been raised to be honorable
and fearless by his Italian duchess mother. His honor is,
above all, the most driving force of his life. His mother
has also taught him, from childhood, to defend Italy from
all invaders. These two components, when confronted by
events and people (particularly Pauline), create some very
amusing scenes in the film. But a one time viewing doesn't
allow the spectator to catch all of the subtle undercurrents
of this beautiful film.

Some viewers are put off by all the dead bodies, but it
is an important part of French history, that really existed.
To be sure, the film is very mild compared to what the
French actually faced during those dreadful times.

Finally, some viewers have been annoyed by the lack of love
scenes between the two main characters. The viewer needs
to remember that the events are depicted in 1825, and
people weren't as quick to express sexual and/or romantic
feelings as is done today.

The ending is appropriate because Angelo is in Italy
fighting for its freedom. Any contact between distances
takes months and sometimes years, considering the circumstances,
to actualize. But you do know that Pauline and Angelo yearn
to be together, and that is simply a part of life during
that era.

A gorgeous film, haunting, fun, and very true to life from the
past.

This is a wonderful film. I saw it in Paris when it premiered and it took my breath away. I've seen it five times since then and I continue to get something out of it every time. It is very romantic and you get involved with the characters and wish the movie never ended. I still want to know if the Countess will ever join Angelo.

This film was one of the most expensive films ever made in France but it was worthwhile. Even with such a huge budget, Jean-Paul Rappeneau is controlling very well this epic film. Moreover, it shows numerous qualities which prove Rappeneau's confidence towards his film.

Le Hussard sur le Toit presents its audience with the grim reality of cholera-stricken rural France in 1832 and its effect on a journey of escape by two anxious visitors. The frequent images of corpses and mass burial are refreshed by the breathtaking and beautifully shot scenery, itself brought to life by characters that dilute the presence of death with an oxymoronic mix of comedy and despair. Carrion crows regularly appear, mercilessly flying around in sinister anticipation, their cawing beaks wide open with hunger.

Juliette Binoche and Olivier Martinez look great, and they throw themselves enthusiastically into their roles. The thing about this movie though that it's billed as a romance but you don't see it anywhere but just hints of it and feel the sexual tensions between the 2 main characters. One of the great joys of this film is to watch the handsome faces of Martinez and Binoche. The plot that kicks off the story rather dramatically is that of the assassination plots against Italian nationalists by Austrians who'd like to take over northern Italy.

The ending may not satisfy some, but it leaves us with the thought that somewhere sometime all will be well again which makes it such a beautiful movie to watch. To top it off, it was filmed in the French countryside which is so breathtaking that you could just watch the movie for the exceptional visual satisfaction, for romantics or action-lovers alike.