La veuve de Saint-Pierre (2000)

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Claude Faraldo (writer)
Patrice Leconte (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 April 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A true story of revenge and redemption, fear and forgiveness, and the true meaning of love.

Plot:

In a small French colony, a drunken man kills someone. While a guillotine is being shipped in, he changes, becoming a good and popular man.

Plot Keywords:

Guillotine | Island | Murder | Love | Redemption

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Juliette Binoche	...	Pauline (Madame La)
Daniel Auteuil	...	Jean (The Captain)
Emir Kusturica	...	Ariel Neel Auguste
Michel Duchaussoy	...	The Governor
Philippe Magnan	...	President Venot
Christian Charmetant	...	Supply and Secretariat Officer
Philippe du Janerand	...	Customs Officer
Maurice Chevit	...	The Governor's Father
Catherine Lascault	...	La Malvilain
Ghyslain Tremblay	...	Monsieur Chevassus
Marc Béland	...	Soldier Loïc
Reynald Bouchard	...	Louis Ollivier
Yves Jacques	...	The Rear Admiral
Dominique Quesnel	...	The Proprietor
Anne-Marie Philipe	...	The Governor's Wife
Isabelle Spade	...	President Venot's Wife
Arianne Mallet	...	Governor's Child
Julián Gutiérrez	...	Governor's Son
Sylvie Moreau	...	Adrienne
Genevieve Cocke	...	Washhouse Woman
Manon Gauthier	...	Washhouse Woman
Marianne C. Miron	...	Mme Chevassus
Jean-Paul Rouvray	...	The Priest
Michel Daigle	...	Father Coupard
Luc Guérin	...	Captain Dumontier
Neil Kroetsch	...	Captain of the Marie Galante
Sylvain Eluau	...	Captain Goelette / Raymound Cloutier (The Adjutant)
Patrick Steltzer	...	The Brigadier
Patrick Caux	...	Young Soldier
Bernard Tanguay	...	The Orderly
Serge Christianssens	...	Drummer
Martin Larocque	...	Town Crier
Boris Napes	...	Assessor
Yvon Roy	...	Granjean
Luc Proulx	...	Cafe Customer
Kendall Negro	...	The Child
Stefan Perrault	...	Oarsman
Sarah McKenna	...	Emilie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee Delong

Directed by
Patrice Leconte

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Claude Faraldo		writer
Patrice Leconte		adaptation

Produced by
Frédéric Brillion	....	producer
Gilles Legrand	....	producer
Daniel Louis	....	co-producer
Denise Robert	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Pascal Estève

Cinematography by
Eduardo Serra		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joëlle Hache

Casting by
Jacques Dublin

Production Design by
Ivan Maussion

Art Direction by
Ivan Maussion

Costume Design by
Christian Gasc

Makeup Department
Marie-France Cardinal	....	key hair stylist
Kathryn Casault	....	key makeup artist
Michel Demonteix	....	key hair stylist
Réjean Forget	....	key hair stylist
Evan Hyisky	....	hair stylist
Joël Lavau	....	key makeup artist
Isabelle Luzet	....	key hair stylist
Thi-Loan Nguyen	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Pierre Allard	....	unit production manager
Rémi Bergman	....	unit production manager
Frédéric Blum	....	production manager
Daniel Hilaréguy	....	assistant production manager
Nicole Hilaréguy	....	production manager
Emmanuel Legrand	....	production manager
Donald Tetreault	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Alloucherie	....	assistant director
Grégoire Barachin	....	first assistant director
Olivier Chouinard	....	assistant director
Anne Gilles	....	second assistant director
Angus Maclean	....	assistant director
Jacques Pasquier	....	assistant director
Simon-Édouard Pilon	....	assistant director

Art Department
François Aïssa	....	construction laborer
Gilles Baillot	....	construction laborer
Martin Bartherotte	....	set dresser
Alain Bergé	....	construction laborer
Bernard Boivin	....	construction coordinator
Jean-Michel Boivin	....	construction laborer
Michel Bourgeois	....	construction laborer
Xavier Buffin	....	construction laborer
Michel Charvaz	....	property master
Daniel Clerici	....	construction laborer
Dominique Coutelle	....	construction laborer
Jamie Day	....	construction laborer
Pierre Denis	....	set dresser
Virginie Denis Roy	....	set dresser (as Virginie Denis)
Daniel Donovan	....	construction laborer
Eric Frion	....	construction laborer
Ludovic Garçon	....	construction laborer
Christian Guillebaud	....	construction laborer
Claude Guyon	....	construction laborer
Brian Hanson	....	construction laborer
Mario Hervieux	....	set dresser
Marie Ève Lacasse	....	set dresser
Frédérique Menichetti	....	construction laborer
Michel Méry	....	set dresser
Igor Mollet	....	construction laborer
Henry Morash	....	construction laborer
Véronique Pagnoux	....	construction laborer
Xavier Palud	....	construction laborer
Frédéric Perron	....	construction laborer
Robert Perry	....	construction laborer
Manuel Poulain	....	construction laborer
Pol Richard	....	construction laborer
Nicolas Rufy	....	set dresser
Annie Tourriol	....	construction laborer

Sound Department
Annabel Acquaviva	....	sound assistant (as Annabelle Acquaviva)
Jean-Philippe Angelini	....	post-synchronization engineer
Fanchon Brûlé	....	dialogue editor
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Pascal Dedeye	....	foley artist
Michel Filippi	....	post-synchronization engineer
Jean Goudier	....	sound
Claude Hazanavicius	....	sound engineer
Katrina Heaulme	....	post-synchronization engineer
Dominique Hennequin	....	sound
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Lainé	....	sound engineer
Jean-Louis Lebras	....	boom operator
Gilles Missir	....	foley recordist
Thierry Morlaas-Lurbe	....	sound assistant
Sandrine Strauss	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Pierre Côté	....	special effects
Daniel Pereira de Abreu	....	special optical effects
Lorne Dosogne	....	special effects
Mario Dumont	....	special effects
Francis Marleau	....	special effects
Frederic Papon	....	special optical effects
Louis Pedneault	....	special effects
Benoit Talenton	....	special effects
Pierre Turmeau	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Christophe Belena	....	digital visual effects
Coralie Boulay	....	digital visual effects
Thomas Buchwalder	....	digital visual effects
Alain Carsoux	....	digital visual effects
Solena Collignon	....	digital visual effects (as Solen Collignon)
Stéphanie Dargent	....	digital visual effects
Thierry Delobel	....	digital visual effects
François Dupuy	....	digital visual effects
Sylvian Fabre	....	digital visual effects
Xavier Fourmond	....	digital visual effects
Chia-Chi Hu	....	digital visual effects
Alexandre Jeanneret	....	digital visual effects
Alexandre Kolasinski	....	digital visual effects
Emmanuel Le Courbe	....	digital compositor
Jeremie Leroux	....	digital visual effects
Karine Marchandou	....	digital visual effects
Frederic Medioni	....	digital compositor
Olivier Poujaud	....	digital compositor
Céline Sene	....	digital visual effects
Antoine Simkine	....	visual effects executive producer: Duboi
Daniel Trujillo	....	digital artist
Edouard Valton	....	digital visual effects
Nicolas Vibert	....	digital visual effects

Stunts
Antonio Vidosa	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian A. Adams	....	grip
Claude Atanassian	....	chief electrician
Michel Atanassian	....	electrician
Eric Baraillon	....	electrician
Florent Bazin	....	assistant camera
Jacques F. Bernier	....	assistant camera (as Jacques Bernier)
Gérald Bourget	....	generator operator
Stéphanie Branchu	....	assistant still photographer
Geoffrey Brown	....	assistant camera
Catherine Cabrol	....	still photographer
Stéphane Cry	....	electrician
Stéphane de Ernsted	....	grip
Jérôme Doidy	....	grip
Bernard Estève	....	electrician
Dominique Fortier	....	electrician
Jacob Fortier	....	electrician
Jacques Fortier	....	chief electrician
Marie Gennesseaux	....	video controller
David Grinberg	....	assistant camera
Warren Jeffries	....	grip
Kevin Jewison	....	camera operator: second unit
Raphaël Jordan	....	grip
Raphael Jourdan	....	grip
Edith Labbe	....	assistant camera
Patrice Leconte	....	camera operator
Anne Nicolet	....	assistant camera
Stéphane Pilon	....	grip
Denis Scozzesi	....	key grip
Bruce Sharpe	....	grip
Marc Simpson-Threlford	....	clapper loader
Nicolas Venne	....	electrician
Stephen Wells	....	grip
Stephen Wells	....	rigging grip

Casting Department
Geneviève Acien	....	extras casting
Wendy Cohen Ross	....	extras casting
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting
Eric Guy	....	casting: Canada
Mireille La Febriere	....	extras casting
Anne Lockquell	....	casting: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Françoise Attal Roth	....	costumer
Claudette Babin	....	costumer
Brigitte Bourneuf	....	seamstress
Maureen Burke	....	costumer
Caroline Easterey	....	seamstress
Tess Hammami	....	costumer
Carla Kaiberlah	....	costumer
Rose Kreutz	....	costumer
Alec Lahey	....	costumer
Daniel Lalande	....	chief costumer
Françoise Lecours	....	costume coordinator
Jocelyne Lucas	....	seamstress
Faye MacLeod	....	seamstress
Edwige Morel D'Arleux	....	costume coordinator
Corinne Page	....	seamstress
Pascale Paoli	....	costumer
Lyse Pomerleau	....	costume coordinator
Ginette Régis	....	costumer
Germaine Ribel	....	costumer
Florence Sadaune	....	chief costumer
Laurent Sévigny	....	costumer
Bénédicte Simon	....	seamstress
Géraldine Touesnard Joyce	....	costumer
Andrée Tremblay	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Christian Dutac	....	color timer
Emilie Monod	....	assistant editor
Clara Ott	....	assistant editor
Van der Vorm	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jean-Paul Batailley	....	musician: percussion
Denis Caribaux	....	assistant music mixer
Denis Caribaux	....	assistant music recordist
Edouard Dubois	....	music consultant
Frédéric Guérouet	....	musician: accordion
Didier Lizé	....	music mixer
Didier Lizé	....	music recordist
Nicolas Meyer	....	music mixer
Nicolas Meyer	....	music recordist
Frédéric Moreau	....	musician: violin
Gilberta Pereyra	....	musician: bass
Daniel Py	....	musician: English horn
Frédéric Robin	....	musician: alto
Alexandre Soumagne	....	musician: cello
Bernard Wystraete	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Jasmine Lewandowski	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Danielle Baldwin	....	production staff
Jérôme Barboux	....	video reporter
Nick Barker	....	location scout
Andrée Bouvier	....	production coordinator
Eric Burchill	....	boat wrangler
Michael Burke	....	production assistant
Martin Desroches	....	production staff
Sylvie Desrosiers	....	administrator
Damaris Detours	....	production assistant
Luc Detours	....	production assistant
Jean-Pierre Devillers	....	video reporter
Hakim Falek	....	production assistant
Walter Flower Jr.	....	boat wrangler (as Walter Flower)
William Flower	....	boat wrangler
Massimo Gallizzi	....	production assistant
Hélène Grimard	....	administrator (as Hélène Gallizzi)
Hélène Grimard	....	production accountant (as Hélène Gallizzi)
Anne-Lyse Haket	....	production staff
Neil Halverson	....	boat wrangler
Vanessa Jerrom	....	press relations
Alexandre Juaneda	....	set production assistant
Serge Klinger	....	production assistant
François Lacasse	....	production assistant
Eric Lacesse	....	international sales
Sylvie Lalonde	....	production assistant
Eric Leca	....	production staff
Armelle Lecoeur	....	production staff
Marie Leconte	....	script supervisor
Nicolas Lecovic	....	production assistant
Renaud Le Van Kim	....	video reporter
Muriel Lizé	....	production coordinator
Nicky Luca	....	production assistant
Mario Luraschi	....	horse wrangler
Deborah MacNeil	....	production staff
Pascal Madura	....	horse wrangler
Christophe Maratier	....	weapons consultant
Lina Martins	....	assistant: Juliette Binoche
Lisa Martins	....	production assistant
Géraldine Milles	....	production staff
Marc Moisan	....	horse groom
Stéphane Montmorency	....	production assistant
Robert Henry Morash	....	boat wrangler
Cecilia Nyström	....	production coordinator
Charles Obrul	....	laboratory liaison
Anne O'Neill	....	coordinator: Forteresse de Louisbourg
Xavier Reboli	....	horse groom
Sarah Richer	....	production staff
Tifany Rieder	....	production staff
Daniel Ross	....	production assistant
Terry Rudderham	....	production assistant
Karen Smail	....	administrator
Stéphane Teillet	....	administrator
Donald Tetreault	....	production assistant
Vanessa K. Tingley	....	production staff
Marisol Turcot	....	production assistant
Pete White	....	horse wrangler

Production Companies

• Cinémaginaire Inc. (coproducers)
• Epithète Films
• France 2 Cinéma
• France 3 Cinéma

Distributors

• Atlantis Entertainment (2001) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2001) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (Argentina)
• Cine Qua Non Films
• Keyfilms Roma
• Lions Gate Films (2001) (USA) (subtitled)
• Movie Star (Brazil) (DVD)
• Movie Star (Brazil) (VHS)
• Pathé
• PolyGram Film Distribution (France)
• Prooptiki Video (Greece) (VHS)
• Prooptiki (Greece)
• Pyramide Distribution (worldwide)
• Trimark Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Orchestre Philarmonique d'Île-de-France  orchestra

Also Known As:

The Widow of Saint-Pierre (International: English title)
The Widow of St. Pierre (Canada: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality and brief violence.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France | Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Fortress of Louisbourg, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

Cinémaginaire Inc.

Trivia:

The title refers in part to the French nickname "veuve" (widow) of the guillotine. Although the French dialogue often uses this word for the device, it is never translated as "widow" in the English subtitles.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Neel is told he's strong enough to "ramer jusqu'au chez les Anglais", the English subtitles say "row over to Canada" rather than "row over to the English". This introduces an error: both the geography and the dialogue in other scenes make it clear that Newfoundland is meant, but Newfoundland wasn't part of Canada until 1949.

Beautiful Story of Rehabilitation and Intolerance

In 1849, in the Archipelago of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the drunken Ariel Neel Auguste (Emir Kusturica) and his partner Louis Ollivier (Reynald Bouchard) kill for a futile motive (to see if he is fat or just big) the fishing boat captain Coupard (Michel Daigle). Nell, who stabbed the victim, is sentenced to die with his head severed in the guillotine while Louis is sentenced to hard labor. During the transportation to the prison under the custody of Captain Jean (Daniel Auteuil), there is an accident and Louis dies. While spending his days in the cell waiting for the guillotine and the executioner, Neel is invited by the captain's wife Mrs. Pauline (Juliette Binoche) to help her in her garden and becomes her protégé. Later he has a process of rehabilitation helping the locals in minor works and becomes very popular in the island. When he saves the building Café du Nord and her owner from sinking in the sea, his popularity increases and nobody but the governor and politicians of the council wants his death. Neel marries Eleontine Jeanne-Marie, but sooner he is informed that the ship Marie Galante has just left Martinique bringing a guillotine. Now the Governor and politicians need to find an executioner in the population to execute the sentence.

"La Veuve de Saint-Pierre" is a beautiful dramatization of a story of rehabilitation and intolerance. I do not know whether this event is partially true or not – there are references in Internet to this story but in sites that I can not trust – but this movie is wonderful. The story and screenplay are engaging and very well written with powerful lines; the direction of Patrice Leconte and the performances are top- notch, with Juliette Binoche extremely beautiful and elegant as usual and showing a magnificent chemistry with Daniel Auteuil; the cinematography and costumes are wonderful. Based on my adjectives, it is unnecessary to say that I loved this movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Viúva de Saint-Pierre" ("The Widow of Saint-Pierre")