Le hussard sur le toit (1995)

Director:

Jean-Paul Rappeneau

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière (writer)
Nina Companéez (writer)

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Their only chance for survival was each other.

Plot:

In a time of war and disease, a young officer gallantly tries to help a young woman find her husband.

Plot Keywords:

Cholera | Provence | South Of France | France | Dead

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Juliette Binoche	...	Pauline de Théus
Olivier Martinez	...	Angelo Pardi
Pierre Arditi	...	Monsieur Peyrolle
François Cluzet	...	The Doctor
Jean Yanne	...	Le Colporteur
Claudio Amendola	...	Maggionari
Isabelle Carré	...	The Tutor
Carlo Cecchi	...	Giuseppe
Christiane Cohendy	...	Madame Peyrolle
Jacques Sereys	...	The old man
Nathalie Krebs	...	Madame Barthelemy
Laura Marinoni	...	Carla
Elisabeth Margoni	...	The farmer's wife
Yolande Moreau	...	Madame Rigoard
Christophe Odent	...	Monsieur Barthelemy

Also Known As:

The Horseman on the Roof (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of nudity.

Runtime:

135 min | Argentina:134 min | Germany:136 min | USA:118 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

Hachette Première

Trivia:

Jean-Paul Rappeneauspent over a year searching for a suitable male lead. Olivier Martinez had to audition several times before he landed the part.

Quotes:

Angelo: My mother is a duchess who talks only of revolution.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Afula Express (1997)

A noble effort...

It takes quite an amazing group of people to make a great epic. Aside from great source material, really all the components have to be superb, and it has to be put together in such a way that the viewer is not left wondering what happened to a decade (see: Queen Margot).

Most of the necessary pieces are here, but there is something missing, some element that keeps it from being a truly great film. It is certainly a good one, a movie that is worth seeing, and worth doing so on a big screen, thanks to its beautiful scenery between France and Italy. The stars are very watchable, and the story is tight enough to keep your attention throughout. Unlike many films of its genre, it is not overlong.

Ironically, I found myself comparing it to another Binoche epic, The English Patient, which made me wonder what was lacking in light of what I consider to be a finer film. In the end, it may be simply that the latter had a novel that was more compelling, or a lead (Fiennes) that was just more riveting.

The story is of two people fleeing the outbreak of cholera in early 19th century France. Angelo is attempting to return to his native Italy, to join the revolution, and Pauline is searching for something... They manage to aid each other's flight.

In the great tradition of French period epics, this is not the pinnacle, but it is near the upper echelon. It's worth a shot.