Customer Reviews

The Widow of Saint-Pierre

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"The Widow of Saint-Pierre" is one of those brooding, romantic costume dramas that only the French seem to do well these days. Far from being escapist fare, it is a dark, often profound meditation on the human condition and the vagaries of the human heart. In 1849, on the remote French island of Saint-Pierre off the coast of Newfoundland, an illiterate fisherman commits a drunken, senseless murder and is sentenced to the guillotine. But since the island has no guillotine, the governor must send for one--a process that will take years. Meanwhile, the fisherman is imprisoned in the island fortress; the wife of the garrison commander takes pity on the condemned man, and sets out to rehabilitate him, with the help (at first reluctant, later wholehearted) of her loving husband. Soon the captain and his wife are defying the governor in their attempts to help the condemned man--with tragic consequences. "The Widow of Saint-Pierre" works on several levels: as a romantic drama; as a denunciation of capital punishment and the cruelty of confusing the letter of the law with justice; and as a brilliant delineation of the nature of love, courage and self-sacrifice. Eduardo Serra's photography of the wintry landscape of Saint-Pierre (actually Nova Scotia) is marvelous, and the acting deserves the highest praise. By now, of course, everyone knows how exquisite Juliette Binoche is, and she is as good as ever here. But the thespian honors in this movie go to Daniel Auteuil, an actor of masterful subtlety and power, who makes Gerard Depardieu look like a double order of "jambon a' l'os."

I find it odd that when reviewing the reviews of this film that people seem to either give it perfect or abysmal scores. The dichotomy of opinion is probably a direct result of the skill and immense power of Leconte's images, (especially those that his chosen actress affords us).

Leconte is a master and quite possibly the greatest living auteur currently making films. His movies often contain a refreshing difficulty that gives one hope that images still mean something, that film is still worthy of being explicated, that someone still cares enough to think that much without being overly clever such as the Coens and Anderson. I shouldn't say still. I should say is and will be, as Leconte is on a different level than any who has ever worked including Kieslowski (the master of images). I enjoy how Leconte has said that although it was his second period piece he approached the film as if that had nothing to do with it, learning from "Ridicule". I should point that out I have no problem with "Ridicule" and the fact that it is a period piece has a great deal to do with the presentation, but I can see what he meant. Like I said, I enjoy the statement, but I should also point out I'm a jerk.

Binoche and Auteuil are two of my favorite actors and this film shows them at their virtuosic best. They deliver amazing performances of a truly passionate couple who both hold unconditional love for the other which in itself contains ultimate trust of decision and character. Possibly more Auteuil's for Binoche's but the sympathy generated by his character fuels her as an equally sharing partner, making any difference negligible. There is a third character, Neel, but he is there only to accentuate the relationship between the other two.

The movie, quite simply is about unconditional love and what it means to love unconditionally. There is a subplot of equal merits (mainly concerning Neel) about the belief in redemption, and what it truly means to believe in redemption. In short it is about the consequences of action through belief, more so out of the love for another than those of moral ground or stance. Some people are not willing to accept the belief that actions can or should occur solely out of sympathy for another. Some people will never allow themselves to love unconditionally. Some people will not understand or even like this film.

Binoche deserves a prize that doesn't yet exist for her most exquisite performance. Leconte deserves recognition for what he has done and what he has given us with this film, certainly one of the best I have ever seen.

Juliette Binoche is an amazing actress. Since her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "The English Patient" in 1996 and her nomination for "Chocolat," she's an actress whose films I seek. "The Widow of Saint-Pierre" has a bit of irony to the title. The opening frames show Binoche in black staring out of a window. We then move into the flashback in which most of the film moves forward. We learn that the "widow" is the guillotine that must be shipped by boat from France before the big execution can take place. We see director Emir Kusturica in an acting role as the very large prisoner Neel whose rehabilitation Binoche's Madame La seeks. We keep wondering if the black dress is saved for the prisoner. Daniel Autereil who won a Cesar (French Oscar) for his work with director Patrice Leconte for "Ridicule" in 1996 plays the lovestruck Captain who is in charge of the execution. Spurred on by his wild and unconditional love for his wife, he thwarts the town's sentence of death at every turn, refusing to allow his soldiers to help haul the widow ship to shore. In the moment of ultimate irony, Neel volunteers to help bring the widow to shore, which is sure to result in his own execution. The bloody resolution and the final shots of Binoche in black bring the story to its somber conclusion. Patrice Leconte has a great reserve, shooting this excellent screenplay in period costume and letting the depth of his cast work its magic. This is an incredibly tragic romance, one that works exquisitely. Enjoy!

This film tells a powerful story, a "Crime and Punishment"-esque recovery of the soul, except without the ending that Dostoevsky had in his novel. After Neel Auguste committs the murder, Madame La (Juliette Binoche), much like Dostoevsky's Sonya, takes on the monumental task of recovering a lost soul and succeeds. Those who suggest this film is unrealistic have no grasp of eternal, Christian values of compassion and those who call this film ideological propaganda have no appreciation for beauty, as the acting (by all three, especially Kusturica and Auteuil, whom I have discovered through this film and who almost eclipse the talented Binoche), the cinematography, and the directing are absolutely brilliant.

This is a must-watch for many different kinds of people, from those interested in St. Pierre & Miquelon (I had to look up the islands on a map and was surprised to learn they are French, not Canadian), to those who would like an illustration of why there is never a soul, lost forever, to those who would just like to receive aesthetic pleasure from a beautiful film.

Finally, some have commented on the character of Neel Auguste, saying that he is "retarded" for not running away. Do not let a comment like that fool you. It would not be made had the reviewer understood the character or even picked up on a direct quote from Madame La, "You are so fatalistic!". Never trust someone who tells you not to watch a movie. Watch it and decide for yourself. I cannot envision that you wouldn't like it.

The "Widow" of the title is initially the nickname for the guillotine, although, later, there will be other widows.

There is a brutal and absurd murder at the opening of the film, and after convicting the perpetrators, the small Canadian community of Saint-Pierre is at a loss as to how to execute them, not having the mandated guillotine.

One of the murderers is killed accidentally, and the other is placed under the authority of the Captain of the Guards for the town (Daniel Auteuil). His wife (Juliette Binoche) believes in the inherent goodness of people, and the prisoner becomes her "project", her protege, at first assisting in building a greenhouse with her. The Captain, quick tempered, mercurial, nevertheless adores his wife, and indulges her whims to the point that the prisoner is virtually set free to work in the villages and becomes devoted to the Captain's wife, much to the consternation of the petty bureaucrats who run the town.

The prisoner killed while drunk, and under the Captain's wife's influence, now sober, he is transformed and is revealed to be a basically good person. In fact he performs an act of heroism and the people of Saint-Pierre no longer wish his execution. However, the town Leaders have sent for a guillotine, and one is onboard a vessel, making its inexorable way to Saint-Pierre and an inevitable crisis.

Really a study of the 3 people involved: the Captain, his wife & the condemned prisoner, the film is not so much a blanket argument against capital punishment as it is a look at the difficulty of finding true justice within the laws of men. Human passions cloud the issues, as do jealousy, envy, the exertion of authority for its own sake, and the denial of the possibility for redemption.

Beautifully filmed (I have to quit writing that, cinematography is so universally excellent anymore, it is a surprise if something ISN'T beautifully photographed) in the icy winters of Quebec, we watch the drama unfold, knowing that this is not going to end well.

Binoche is beautiful, her smiles of joy at her protege's transformation light the screen. Auteuil's Captain is enigmatic & prickly. There are hints that he has caused himself problems previously, which is why he is in such an isolated & Godforsaken posting. His wife believes in goodness, and he believes in the goodness of his wife. He loves her utterly. It is the irony of the story, that her good intentions and good actions, bringing about a real transformation in a once thuggish man, will result in tragecy for them all. Worth a look. 4-1/2 Stars.

It's been suggested that this film be watched on a stormy night. Well, tonight's a stormy night, so I decided to watch this movie. While "Widow" isn't quite that entertaining, it is very intriguing.

The scenery is completely captivating and provides the perfect backdrop for Leconte's tale. I enjoyed immensely watching the leads, Binoche and Auteil. For me, their passionate relationship kept this movie energized. And the suspense of Neel's fate kept me guessing. Near the end of this movie, I, like the townsfolk, starting rooting for Neel to be spared. How appropriate then, that a heavy rainfall started crashing down when the movie reached its conclusion. Somebody up there understands this movie all too well and I believe I do to.

Note: I watched a dubbed English version and though its easier on the eyes it loses some translation with voice-overs. You cannot hear the expressiveness or tone of the "Real" actors' voices hence their acting is purely visual and somewhat odd. I would have preferred to hear Binoche & Auteil's real voices and read sub-titles, at least theirs and the entire cast's acting in the movie would have been more "fluent".

Juliet Binoche demonstrates a steely grace in this French film set in the 1840s Newfoundland. A man commits murder during a night of drunken hyjinks. He's sentenced to the guillotine except for one the remote town of St. Pierre doesn't have the necessary executive device (nicknamed the "Widow"). The town officials send away for one from France (that must be some mail-order catalog they consulted), but in the meantime the convicted man is held in custody by a captain (enigmatically played by Daniel Auteuil) and his wife (Binoche).

*** Binoche's character is progressively-minded, and instead of keeping the convict locked up, she puts him to work helping her with her garden and then with chores around St. Pierre. The townsfolk take a shine to the convict and begin to protest his pending execution.

*** This is an odd little period film with an anti-capital punishment stance. While not entirely surprising, the premise is remains a novelty to behold. You're never quite sure what made the characters who they are, but Binoche and Auteuil are a curiously striking couple and succeed in bringing plausibility to their roles.

Early on, a comment is made that there are many widows in the neighborhood. It is an oddly pertinent observation.

Too many reviewers have written about pre-revolutionary France, Canada, and how the story must be totally unrelated to reality - wrong on all counts, also English spelling, recognition of famous actors on-screen, and basic comprehension of literature and art.

The story is quite realistic and perhaps historical, and, the behavior of Neel - where else would he go in an island of snow, or isolation? If sobriety does his character such good, perhaps he is truly remorseful, and grateful for the undeserved years given him. It was a given that Mme. La wasn't just another Republican, as it were, with vulgar bourgeois mores and tastes, and shallow tri-colore-wearing patriotism. In showing Neel humanity, his humanity was developed, not without a bit of recidivism when provoked, but he was reformed enough for it to be obvious to the rest of the islanders. Part of the tension is between the reformation of Neel, and the typical bureaucrats [invented in France for export to the White House] failing to take any initiative or possessing imagination at all.

The actual guillotine is in a museum on the island, and the islands are still part of the French Republic, not at all Canadian - the only place in the region using Euros. I guess you'd need to go to the Falklands, if you were to find another in this hemisphere! The French had been completely revolted, and Napoleon had begun strutting his stuff long before the century of the film. The French had even beaten us to ending slavery by this time!

Considering the facts' placement in history, surely the story could have unfolded much as the movie portrays.

Are you tired of sitting through torturous hours of poor plots, bland cinematography, and distasteful acting?

Watch "The Widow of Saint-Pierre" and have your heart and mind captured by the awe-inspiring cast. Once again Juliette Binoche delivers a stunning performance. Not suprising, Daniel Auteuil uses his amazing power of subtley to create a character of true quality.

Overall, you won't go wrong with an investment in "The Widow of Saint-Pierre!"

Patrice Leconte's 2001 film on a garrison captain (Auteil) and his wife (Binoche) stationed on the Island of Saint Pierre near Nova Scotia in 1849. Although the film shines with brilliant direction, cinematography, and acting, it presents its theme through a rather improbable plot.

The film is character based and follows the life of a garrison captain (Auteil) and his wife (Binoche) stationed on the Island of Saint Pierre near Nova Scotia in 1849. The captain and his wife are portrayed as the standards of justice and mercy when a villager (Emir Kustuica) is tried and sentenced to death for killing another in a drunken brawl. The captain realizes that this man, although guilty of murder, is a good man who just made a fatal mistake. Feeling that the death penalty is unjust for such a crime, the captain gives the prisoner various liberties outside of his cell. The condemned man suddenly becomes a model citizen and helps the other villagers with various things while awaiting the ship that carries the guillotine to be used for his execution. The captain and his wife are riddled with guilt and try to plead for the prisoner's release.

I found the plot and theme rather contrived. The film is character driven and the main characters simply don't reflect the prevalent values of French society in 1849. The theme is a parallel of Victor Hugo's 'Les Miserables' in which the prisoner is somewhat of a Jean Valjean and the captain a morally superior Javert. The reality though is that it would be extremely unlikely for a character such as Auteil's captain to have the morals portrayed in the film: being a military officer in charge of a garrison, he would have to be a man who's prepared to oversee various cases which would involve similar moral doubts as the prisoner's: cases such as desertion, insuboordination, and mutiny, which would all carry the penalty of death. This is a period of time in France in which even petty thieves were regularly shipped off to prison colonies such as Devil's Island to perform years of hard labor. It was a period of time in which Victor Hugo was sent into exile by Napoleon III for his outspoken social critiques such as 'Les Miserables.' In sum, the characters in the film are little more than crude caricatures of the past on whom are imposed purely modern concepts: concepts which were still very foreign for 1849.

Despite some of the thematic problems in the film, the direction and cinematography is excellent. All of the actors deliver outstanding performances to make this movie a pleasant and moving experience.