La reine Margot (1994)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Patrice Chéreau

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel)
Danièle Thompson (scenario & adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 December 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

The night of August 24, 1572, is known as the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. In France a religious war is raging...

Plot Keywords:

Catholic | Protestant | Massacre | King | Power

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Isabelle Adjani	...	Marguerite de Valois dite La Reine Margot
Daniel Auteuil	...	Henri de Navarre
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Charles IX
Vincent Perez	...	La Môle
Virna Lisi	...	Catherine de Médicis
Dominique Blanc	...	Henriette de Nevers
Pascal Greggory	...	Anjou
Claudio Amendola	...	Coconnas
Miguel Bosé	...	Guise
Asia Argento	...	Charlotte of Sauve
Julien Rassam	...	Alençon
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Nançay
Jean-Claude Brialy	...	Coligny
Jean-Philippe Écoffey	...	Condé
Albano Guaetta	...	Orthon
Johan Leysen	...	Maurevel
Dörte Lyssewski	...	Marie Touchet
Michelle Marquais	...	La nourice
Laure Marsac	...	Antoinette
Alexis Nitzer	...	Un conseiller
Emmanuel Salinger	...	Du Bartas
Barbet Schroeder	...	Un conseiller
Jean-Marc Stehlé	...	L'aubergiste
Otto Tausig	...	Mendès
Bruno Todeschini	...	Armagnac
Tolsty	...	Le bourreau
Bernard Verley	...	Le Cardinal
Ulrich Wildgruber	...	René
Laurent Arnal	...	Protestant
Gérard Berlioz
Christophe Bernard	...	Charles IX's Bodyguard
Marian Blicharz	...	Polish Ambassador
Daniel Breton	...	Thief
Pierre Brilloit
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi	...	2nd Escardon Volant
Cécile Caillaud	...	Henriette's Servant
Marc Citti	...	Crussol
Grégoire Colin	...	Jeune Egorge
Erwan Dujardin	...	Page
Jean Douchet	...	Eveque
Philippe Duclos	...	Telligny
Marina Golovine	...	Lady in Waiting
Zygmunt Kargol	...	Polish Abassador
Carlos López	...	Gaede Nancay
Orazio Massaro
Roman Massine	...	Charles IX's Bodyguard
Charlie Nelson	...	Commis Rene (as Charles Nelson)
Bernard Nissile	...	Protestant
Julie-Anne Roth	...	Fille Cuisine Egorge (as Julie-Anne Rauth)
Jean-Michel Tavernier
Béatrice Toussaint
Melanie Vaudaine	...	1st Escadron Volant
Nicolas Vaude	...	Protestant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
José Alves
Luís Gaspar
Ivo Canelas	...	(uncredited)
Dalila Carmo	...	Lady (uncredited)
Hélène de Fougerolles	...	Une courtisane (uncredited)
Peter Michael	...	Protestant (uncredited)
Florbela Oliveira	...	Extra (uncredited)
Margarida Reis	...	Catholic (uncredited)
Anabela Teixeira	...	(uncredited)
Nuno Tudela	...	Protestant (uncredited)
Carlos Vieira	...	Protestant (uncredited)
Mafalda Vilhena	...	Lady (uncredited)

Directed by
Patrice Chéreau

Writing credits
Alexandre Dumas père		(novel) (as Alexandre Dumas)
Danièle Thompson		(scenario & adaptation) and
Patrice Chéreau		(scenario & adaptation)
Danièle Thompson		(dialogue)

Produced by
Claude Berri	....	producer
Pierre Grunstein	....	executive producer
Carsten Meyer-Grohbrügge	....	assistant producer
Paulo Trancoso	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Goran Bregovic

Cinematography by
Philippe Rousselot

Film Editing by
François Gédigier
Hélène Viard

Casting by
Margot Capelier

Production Design by
Richard Peduzzi
Olivier Radot

Costume Design by
Moidele Bickel

Makeup Department
Sano De Perpessac	....	key hair stylist: Portugal
Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen	....	makeup artist
Kuno Schlegelmilch	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Jean-Claude Bourlat	....	production manager
Mederic Bourlat	....	assistant unit manager
Catherine Pierrat	....	unit production manager
Antónia Seabra	....	production manager: Portugal

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Raul Correia	....	second assistant director: Portugal
Jérôme Enrico	....	first assistant director
Jérôme Enrico	....	second unit director
Dominique Furgé	....	second assistant director
Emmanuel Hamon	....	second assistant director
Jorge Queiroga	....	second assistant director: Portugal
João Pedro Ruivo	....	first assistant director: Portugal
Gilles Sionnet	....	first assistant director: preparation

Art Department
Fernando Areal	....	scenic artist
Frédéric Bénard	....	assistant art director
Lionel Callari	....	property master
Antoine Fontaine	....	painter
Mathieu Junot	....	property master
Augusto Mayer	....	art director: Portugal
Christophe Offret	....	ripper
Maxime Rebière	....	storyboard artist
Patrick Schmitt	....	prop buyer

Sound Department
Olivier Burgaud	....	boom operator
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Michel Filippi	....	adr supervisor
Sylvie Gadmer	....	sound editor
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Dominique Hennequin	....	sound
Corinne Rozenberg	....	assistant sound editor
Corinne Rozenberg	....	sound editor
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound

Special Effects by
Georges Demétrau	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	optical camera
Frederic Moreau	....	visual effects
Christian Rajaud	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Gilles Conseil	....	stunts
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunts
Olivier Vitrant	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dominique Delguste	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Patrick de Ranter	....	camera operator: second unit
Francine Filatriau	....	assistant camera
Marc Koninckx	....	Steadicam operator
Marc Koninckx	....	camera operator
Anne Nicolet	....	assistant camera
Gérard Rival	....	grip
Luc Roux	....	still photographer
Myriam Touzé	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Pascale Béraud	....	extras casting
An Dorthe Braker	....	casting: Germany
Sophie Coulaud	....	extras casting: Bordeaux
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting
Pierrick Faour	....	casting: France
Mirta Guarnaschelli	....	casting: Italy
Patrícia Vasconcelos	....	casting: Portugal

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nathalie Chesnais	....	costumer
Christophe Giraud	....	costume painter
Tess Hammami	....	costumer
Jean-Daniel Vuillermoz	....	costumer assistant

Editorial Department
Xavier Loutreuil	....	assistant editor
Laure Mercier	....	assistant editor
Claire Sels	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Srdjan Kurpjel	....	music arranger
Daniel Masson	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Yves Boonen	....	director trainee
Antoinette de Robien	....	script trainee
Sandrine Douat	....	trainee
Danielle Dumanoir	....	production coordinator
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	script supervisor
Hervé Grandsart	....	historical advisor
João Milagre	....	production assistant
Elisa Rodrigues	....	production secretary: Portugal
Vicente Trindade	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Renn Productions (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• D.A. Films (co-production)
• N.E.F. Filmproduktion und Vertriebs (I) (co-production) (as NEF Filmproduktion GmbH / Deggeto pour ARD / WMG)
• Degeto Film (co-production) (as NEF Filmproduktion GmbH / Deggeto pour ARD / WMG)
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (ARD) (co-production) (as NEF Filmproduktion GmbH / Deggeto pour ARD / WMG)
• WMG Film (co-production) (as NEF Filmproduktion GmbH / Deggeto pour ARD / WMG)
• RCS Films & TV (co-production)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Miramax Films (participation) (as Miramax)
• Eurimages (support) (as EURIMAGES du Conseil de L'Europe)

Distributors

• Pathé (1994) (worldwide) (all media) (rights)
• AMLF (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Pathé Vidéo (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Atlantis Entertainment (1996) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1996) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Capelight Pictures (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Cine Company S.A. (Spain)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2000) (Finland) (TV)
• Miramax Films (USA) (subtitled)
• Pan Vision Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Transmundo Films (Argentina)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (Argentina) (video)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Nanterre-Amandiers  technical collaboration (as Théâtre de Nanterre-Amandiers)
• Air France  thanks (as Air France Agence Luxembourg)
• Audio 24/25  sound post-production (as Audio 24-25)
• Central Color  photo lab
• Cornejo  thanks
• Ditta Pompei  thanks (as Chaussures Pompei)
• Faugère et Jutheau  insurance
• Groupe Pinault  thanks
• Kamarad Productions  music score production
• Kodak Pathé  camera equipment provided by (as Kodak-Pathe)
• La Mairie de Saint-Quentin  thanks
• Les Ateliers du Costume  thanks
• Locafête  catering
• Madame Bijoux  thanks
• Magic Camera Company, The  post-production facilities (as Magic Camera Company)
• Mairie de Bordeaux  thanks (as la Mairie de Bordeaux)
• Microfilms  titles and opticals
• Phonogram  soundtrack
• PolyGram Music  music publisher
• Samalga  camera equipment provided by
• Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz  thanks
• Studio Lincoln  sound re-recording
• Transpalux  lighting

Also Known As:

Die Bartholomäusnacht (Germany)
La regina Margot (Italy)
Queen Margot (USA)

Runtime:

162 min | France:159 min | Germany:139 min (video version) | Germany:174 min | USA:144 min

Country:

France | Italy | Germany

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Peru:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Basilique de Saint-Quentin, Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Picardie, France

Company:

Renn Productions

Trivia:

The film was the highest-grossing foreign film in Britain during the year of its release; its box office gross of £600,000, at the time, ranked it amongst the highest grossing foreign films of all time in the UK.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the poisoned King Charles lies in bed, the amount of blood on his face/chest changes.

Quotes:

Charles IX: One who gives life is no longer a mother once she takes that life back.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Elo Hi

An artful French epic of wickedness, intrigue, and treachery.

"Queen Margot" is a French epic drama which tells of the political forces at work in France at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre which signaled the beginning of the end of the "religious wars" raging in France in the early to mid 16th century. Queen Margot (Adjani) is at the center of this maelstrom of wickedness and treachery which looks at everything from poison lip rouge to a bloody holocaust. An elaborate award winning production, "Queen Margot" presents its history realistically with no clear sense of good or evil - unlike "Braveheart", for example - with countless extras, spectacular costuming, and artistry in cinematography. Well worth its 2.5 hour run, this dark film, based on the novel by A. Dumas, is lacking in the didactic and will be difficult to follow for all but those with historical knowledge of the place and time. A little research prior to watching the film can go a long way toward understanding the complexities of the story.