The Plague (1992)
"La peste" (original title)

In the 1990s, a South American city is rocked by the imminent outbreak of a plague. While many attempt to flee the city, Dr Bernard Rieux sends his sick wife away and does his best to care ... See full summary »

Director:

Luis Puenzo

Writers:

Albert Camus (novel), Luis Puenzo,

Stars:

William Hurt, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jean-Marc Barr

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Doctor Bernard Rieux
Sandrine Bonnaire	...	Martine Rambert
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Jean Tarrou
Robert Duvall	...	Joseph Grand
Raul Julia	...	Cottard
Jorge Luz	...	Old Man with the cats
Victoria Tennant	...	Alicia Rieux
Atilio Veronelli	...	Dr. Horacio
Francisco Cocuzza	...	Miguel
Laura Palmucci	...	Miguel's Wife
Norman Erlich	...	Dr. Castel
Marcos Woinsky	...	Doctor Grunewald
Duilio Marzio	...	Judge Orbon
Pancho Ibáñez	...	Newscater
Horacio Fontova	...	Attendant

Storyline

In the 1990s, a South American city is rocked by the imminent outbreak of a plague. While many attempt to flee the city, Dr Bernard Rieux sends his sick wife away and does his best to care for the plague's victims. The plague means different things to different people: to the doctor, it's a disease to be cured. To a pair of French journalists, it's a breaking news story. To religious leaders, it's punishment for sins. As the sense of isolation and hopelessness grow, Dr Rieux and his associates begin to question their previously-accepted feelings of justice, loneliness, and love.

---

Plot Keywords:

plague | doctor | military | bubonic plague | disease | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France UK Argentina

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 1992 (France)

Also Known As:

The Plague

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnie Française Cinématographique (CFC), The Pepper-Prince Ltd., Oscar Kramer S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min 122 min (cut) 105 min (cut) 115 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Jean Tarrou: [bed ridden] The sound... The sound of the plague, can you here it?

User Reviews

Horrible version of Camus' novel

Too talkative. Crappy acting. Pathetic writing. I could go on for a while... It is a shame that such good material was wasted. The film is clueless, since the makers had no vision. The film even manages to become boring. It also tries too hard to be meaningful and deep, but it just isn't intelligent enough. The photography is OK, though. But that's about the only good thing in this movie. As far as I know the film is only out on DVD in Asia. The DVD can often be found on eBay. Not that I would advise you to buy it, though.

The DVD is 4:3.

Some of the actors deliver performances that are far below their usual standard. This must mean that director Puenzo did a lousy job.