Balzac: A Life of Passion (1999) (TV) Balzac (original title)

Director:

Josée Dayan

Writer:

Didier Decoin

Release Date:

23 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He burned with ambition. He lived for passion.

Plot:

Honoré de Balzac was a man who lived to write. His life was a hard, permanent struggle, from his cold...

Plot Keywords:

Death | Love | Money | Creditor | Switzerland

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Honoré de Balzac
Jeanne Moreau	...	Charlotte-Laure
Fanny Ardant	...	Eve Hanska
Virna Lisi	...	Madame de Berny
Katja Riemann	...	Laure d'Abrantès
Claude Rich	...	Maitre Plissoud
Gert Voss	...	Victor Hugo
Sergio Rubini	...	Eugene Sue
François Marthouret	...	Docteur Nacquart
Marianne Denicourt	...	Adèle Hugo
Gottfried John	...	Count Hanska
Pascal Vannson	...	Paradis
Hervé Briaux	...	Charles Sedillot
Didier Lesour	...	Surveillant Bossu
Enguerran Demeulenaere	...	Balzac Enfant
Cédric Chevalme	...	Charretier
Franck Manzoni	...	Sergeant de Ville
Jean-François Lapalus	...	Contremaitre
Saturnin Barré	...	Leon
Yves Penay	...	Marchand de Café
Cyril Anrep	...	Joueur
Franck de la Personne	...	Tailleur Buisson
Roland Blanche	...	Editeur Gosselin
Michel Pilorgé	...	Editeur Gosselin
Albert Dray	...	Imprimeur
Stephan Midaven	...	Ouvrier Imprimerie
Daniel Dadzu	...	Orfevre (as Dadzu)
Rene Smotek	...	Employe Journal
Sébastien Thiery	...	Sergent Major
Jacques Seiler	...	Vieil Officer
Dominique Besnehard	...	Editeur Werdet
Lucie Volmanova	...	Anna Hanska Enfant
Jean Davy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sunnyi Melles
Katja Studt	...	Anna Hanska (uncredited)

Directed by
Josée Dayan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Didier Decoin

Produced by
Edith Colnel	....	executive producer
Jean-Pierre Guérin	....	producer
Doris Kirch	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Bruno Coulais

Cinematography by
Willy Stassen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Pauline Casalis
Adeline Yoyotte		(as Adeline Yoyotte-Husson)
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte

Casting by
Martina Kubesova
Shula Siegfried
Cornelia von Braun

Production Design by
Richard Cunin

Costume Design by
Jean-Philippe Abril
Emmanuelle Corbeau
Samy Douib

Makeup Department
Véronique Boitout	....	assistant hair stylist
Christophe Danchaud	....	makeup artist: Jeanne Moreau
Turid Follvick	....	makeup artist
Mathilde Humeau	....	makeup artist
John Nollet	....	hair stylist
Myriam Roger	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Edith Colnel	....	production manager
Marc Jenny	....	production manager: Czech Republic
Michal Prikryl	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fabrice Grange	....	second unit director
Maurice Hermet	....	first assistant director
Tomas Pavlacky	....	first assistant director: Czech Republic

Art Department
Jean-Laurent Agrinier	....	set accessories
Jean-Claude Allu	....	carpenter
Pierre Balducchi	....	assistant decorator
Patrick Barry	....	tapestries
Jacques Bataille	....	assistant decorator
Jean-Claude Bourdin	....	assistant decorator
Jean-Pierre Bourel	....	assistant decorator
Nicolas Brun	....	carpenter
Pascal Chatton	....	assistant decorator
Jean-François Corneille	....	set designer
Bruno Coucoureux	....	carpenter
Marcel Daudin	....	property master: furniture
Raphaëlle Desplechin	....	artistic director: TF1
Aurore Dujardin	....	property master: furniture
Sylvie Fennec	....	set designer
Henri Frèrebeau	....	construction coordinator
Mireille Ganagé	....	assistant decorator
Claude de Givray	....	artistic director: TF1
Marie-Stéphane d' Hérouville	....	assistant decorator
André Jallot	....	construction coordinator
Radan Kapinos	....	props
Xavier Lemesnil	....	assistant decorator
Tanty Lokonga	....	property master: furniture
Guy-Michel Morin	....	scenic artist
François Pernod	....	carpenter
Patricia Ruelle	....	painter
Michel Vialla	....	property master: furniture

Sound Department
Laurent Bluwal	....	sound
Jean-Paul Loublier	....	sound mixer
Alain Lévy	....	sound effects
Laurent Lévy	....	sound effects
Muriel Mariey	....	sound

Special Effects by
Christophe Messaoudi	....	special effects
Jirí Vojtech	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Johan Apers	....	camera operator
Hugues Balagny	....	electrician
Marc Baudrillart	....	electrician
Michel Chardon	....	key grip
Thierry Deschamp	....	camera operator
Cyril Granger	....	grip
René Haan	....	electrician
Roman Hodek	....	grip: second unit
Milan Jirsa	....	electrician: second unit
Claude Juge	....	grip
Michel Karyo	....	grip
Elin Kirschfink	....	electrician
Renaat Lambeets	....	Steadicam operator
Philippe Laurent	....	grip
Martin Le Moal	....	grip
Daniel Leterrier	....	camera operator
Dominique Maestracci	....	still photographer
Thierry Manhiabal	....	electrician
Richard Melloul	....	still photographer
Zdenek Mrkvicka	....	assistant camera
Olivier N'guyen	....	grip
Laurent Passera	....	grip
Vincent Piette	....	chief electrician
Vincent Plaidy	....	assistant camera
Bruno Quemenaire	....	grip
Marc Romani	....	electrician
Marius Salvatori	....	camera operator
Olivier Trouillet	....	grip
John Ward	....	Steadicam operator
Frédéric Witthuhn	....	grip

Casting Department
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany
Tomas Zelenka	....	casting: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Petra Barochová	....	costumer: second unit
Christophe Cadet	....	costumer
Jean Coinel	....	costumer
Bela Friedlová	....	wardrobe
Marie-Joséphine Gracia	....	costumer
Jocelyne Lucas	....	costumer
Gil Noir	....	costumer
Chantal Poillot	....	costumer
Eric Richard	....	costumer
Tanya Sayer	....	costumer
Jitka Svecova	....	costumer
Rosine Vennin-Debores	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Michel Crivellaro	....	assistant editor
Gina Pignier	....	assistant editor
Sabine Roch	....	post-production
Olivier Veinat	....	color timer: television version

Music Department
Jean-Philippe Audin	....	musician: string sextuor
Stéphane Briand	....	assistant music mixer
Raoul Chautereau	....	musician: percussion
Raoul Duflot-Vérez	....	musician: piano
Régis Dupré	....	conductor
Christophe Guiot	....	conductor
Christophe Guiot	....	musician: string sextuor
Paul Lavergne	....	executive music producer
Didier Lizé	....	music mixer
Didier Lizé	....	music recordist
P. Nadal	....	musician: string sextuor
Françoise Oneri	....	musician: string sextuor
Elisabeth Pallas	....	musician: string sextuor
Slim Pezin	....	music supervisor
Slim Pezin	....	musician: guitar
Stéphanie Reichard	....	assistant music recordist
Dideric Suis	....	musician: string sextuor

Other crew
Benoît Arturat	....	set manager
Odile Balme	....	secretary
Jean-Noël Betzler	....	set manager
Christine Bodelot	....	administrator
Tahar Boualam	....	groupman
Olivier Boudou	....	set manager
Michel Boyard	....	assistant: Gérard Depardieu
Martina Burgetová	....	production assistant: second unit
Emmanuelle Carayon-Lerbret	....	press attache: TF1
Benoît Clémenceau	....	location manager
Sophie Coulaud	....	set manager (as Sophie Coulaud-Coulcou)
Céline Cuvellier	....	production assistant (as Céline Cuvelier)
Claude Davy	....	press attache
Laurence Dupré	....	press attache: TF1
Alain Evrard	....	location manager
Anne Ferignac	....	set manager
Zdenek Flídr	....	set manager: second unit
Fabrice Gay	....	set manager
Jacqueline Granier-Deferre	....	script supervisor
Marie Guillon	....	administrator
Martina Götthansova	....	interpreter
François Hardy	....	technical advisor: carriages
Elisabeth Hauss	....	production assistant
Maurice Hermet	....	production assistant
Markéta Hodousková	....	production assistant: second unit
Florence Jamin	....	set manager
Lubos Jirgl	....	assistant set manager: second unit
Frédéric Karali	....	location manager
Marie Kerhoas	....	production assistant
Jiri Kotlas	....	production runner
Victoire Lefebvre	....	press attache: TF1
Véronique Marchat	....	production coordinator
Nicole Miloux	....	administrator
Sylvain Montagne	....	location manager
Sonia Moyersoen	....	literary director: GMT Productions
Emmanuel Murat	....	set manager
Fabrice Orange	....	production assistant
Laurent Orenaud	....	set manager
Tomas Pavlacky	....	assistant set manager: second unit
Lenka Pavlakova	....	production interpreter
Zbynek Pippal	....	set manager: second unit
Michal Prikryl	....	production assistant: second unit
Cyril Renard	....	production assistant
Joëlle Renault	....	secretary
Nicolas Ronchi	....	production assistant
Nicolas Ronchi	....	set manager
Christophe Roux	....	set manager
Yann Saint-Pé	....	production assistant
Marc Sauveroche	....	location manager
Hervé Schrub	....	location manager
Morgane Soland	....	production assistant
Jiri Tichacek	....	production assistant: second unit
Suzanne Walter	....	documentary researcher
Emily Zinth de Kentzingen	....	set manager
Lucile Joly	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• TF1 (co-production)
• GMT Productions (co-production)
• Taurus Film (co-production)
• Mediaset (co-production)
• DD Productions (co-production)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Okko Productions (participation)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (support)

Distributors

• TF1 (1999) (France) (TV)
• TF1 Vidéo (2000) (France) (DVD)
• Bravo Cable (2000) (USA) (TV) (subtitled)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Totem
• UFA Video (2001) (Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Studio Guillaume Tell  music recording studio

Also Known As:

"Balzac" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief partial nudity

Runtime:

180 min (2 parts) | USA:240 min (including commercials) | 60 min (4 episodes)

Country:

France | Italy | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

TF1

Just LOVED this film (but I adore Gerard Depardieau too!!!)

This is one of my favorite Gerard Depardieau movies. All his charms are displayed -- plus a GREAT story!!! I really LOVED Jeanne Moreau in this film -- so beautiful in her mature age that it gave me a new view of how beautiful women can be even when old (which was a huge one for me).

I never knew the story of Balzac's life before and this was a delightful way to learn about him. It made me want to read about him now and read his books.

One warning: if you are sound-sensitive as I am, I find that listening to voice-over in English to RUIN the film ENTIRELY...! I do not understand French at all, but I love to listen to the French as I read the English subtitles. It was a huge disappointment to me when I purchased a DVD of this film on eBay only to discover that listening in French was not even an option!! I cannot bear to listen to Gerard's voice being voiced over and must only watch it now in silence with subtitles until I manage to find a copy with FRENCH soundtrack. That language is truly like music to my ears and is at least nearly half the "art" of this film in my opinion!!

Wonderful drama, romance, scandal, inspiration, laughter and tears in this wonderful, wonderful film. I have it a 10 as it is one of the FEW films I liked enough to actually purchase!!