Battle of the Brave (2004) Nouvelle-France (original title)

Director:

Jean Beaudin

Writer:

Pierre Billon

Release Date:

20 July 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

Rise. Unite. Fight.

Plot:

In the mid-18th Century, as England and France battle over control of Canada, an epic romance between a peasant woman and a trapper unfurls.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | France | England | Love | Canada

Awards:

2 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Noémie Godin-Vigneau	...	Marie-Loup Carignan
David La Haye	...	François le Gardeur
Juliette Gosselin	...	Young France Carignan
Sébastien Huberdeau	...	Xavier Maillard
Gérard Depardieu	...	Father Thomas Blondeau
Bianca Gervais	...	Acoona
Irène Jacob	...	Angélique de Roquebrune
Pierre Lebeau	...	Joseph Carignan
Vincent Perez	...	Intendant Le Bigot
Isabel Richer	...	France Carignan
Johanne-Marie Tremblay	...	Madeleine Carignan (as Johanne Marie Tremblay)
Tim Roth	...	William Pitt
Jason Isaacs	...	Général James Wolfe
Colm Meaney	...	Benjamin Franklin
Billy Merasty	...	Owashak
Monique Mercure	...	Hortense
David Troughton	...	English General
Michael Maloney	...	Gouverneur James Murray
Maud Beauchemin	...	Mélodie
Benoît Dagenais	...	Le Joufflu
Myriam De Verger	...	Isabelle Grandjean
Bénédicte Décary	...	Courtisane
Philippe Dormoy	...	Voltaire
Patrick Goyette	...	Capitaine Tremblay
Roc LaFortune	...	Sergent Lavigueur
Louise Laparé	...	Mother Marthe-de-la-Passion
Paul Savoie	...	Gouverneur Vaudreuil
Micky Sébastian	...	Marquise de Pompadour
Maxime Allard	...	Executioner
Zoham Amsalem	...	Dance Master
Lise Arel	...	Peasant
Régis Aulny	...	Ball Musician
Sylvie Belleau	...	Cécile Le Joufflu
Alexander Bisping	...	Major Goodwin
Philippe Botta	...	Ball Musician
Olivier Brault	...	Violoniste
Carole B. Thomas	...	Peasant (as Carole Bureau)
Ruth Charest	...	Peasant
Gaétan Côté	...	Borgne
Shantale Cyr	...	Peasant
Romain Dubé	...	Vaudreuil's Secretary
Kévin Dufault	...	Peasant
Guillaume Dury	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Jean-Christophe Dury	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Patricia Eshkibok	...	Matawa
Laurie-Anne Éthier	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Peter Farbridge	...	British Officer
Johanne Fontaine	...	Gossip
Sophie Gareau	...	Maillard's Girlfriend
Raphaël Grenier	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Matt Holland	...	Magistrate
Denis Houle	...	Card Player
Lionel Kalinski	...	Peasant
Stéphane L'Ecuyer	...	Inn Keeper
Gabriel Landry	...	Bigot's Coachman
Marc Larose	...	Hospital Doorman
Pierre Leblanc	...	Magistrate
Karyne Lemieux	...	Courtisane
Jod Léveillé-Bernard	...	Peasant (as Jod Leveille)
Geoff Licence	...	Painter Boucher
Denis Ligier	...	Ball Musician
Christian Masten	...	British Soldier
Julie Mecteau Bouchard	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Marie-Hélène Montpetit	...	Gossip
Pascal Morrow	...	Ball Musician
Titus Oppmann	...	Ball Musician
Thomas Paquette	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Émilie Paquette	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Sarah Maude Pellerin	...	Le Joufflu's Child
Denis Plante	...	Lute Player
Gilles Plante	...	Flûtiste
Dominique Rankin	...	Shaman
Christophe Rapin	...	Bigot's Lackey
Jean-Louis Roux	...	Jean-Baptiste's Servant
Michael Rudder	...	Président of the Court
Jordan St. James	...	British Soldier
Pascal-Frédéric St-Yves	...	Tambourine Player
Louis Wiriot	...	Card Player
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Isabelle Champeau	...	La Fleuriste (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Beaudin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pierre Billon

Produced by
Antony Blakey	....	executive producer
Jean-Marie Comeau	....	line producer
Sam Coppola	....	associate producer
Francine Forest	....	delegate producer
David Gordian	....	executive producer
Richard Goudreau	....	producer
Samuel Hadida	....	producer
Victor Hadida	....	executive producer
Claude Léger	....	executive producer
Tobi Mathews	....	co-executive producer
Leslie Jean Porter	....	executive producer
Jonathan Rae	....	associate producer
Ashley Sidaway	....	executive producer
Robert Sidaway	....	producer
Jonathan Vanger	....	executive producer
Jean Zaloum	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Patrick Doyle

Cinematography by
Louis de Ernsted

Film Editing by
Jean-François Bergeron
Yves Langlois

Casting by
Dean E. Fronk
Murielle Laferrière
Françoise Menidrey
Donald Paul Pemrick

Production Design by
Jean-Baptiste Tard

Art Direction by
Michel Clément
Pierre-Yves Dupuis
Emmanuel Frechette

Set Decoration by
Daniel Carpentier
Josée Pilon
Ginette Robitaille

Costume Design by
François Barbeau

Makeup Department
Marie-France Cardinal	....	key hair stylist
Kathryn Casault	....	key makeup artist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Marcelo Padovani	....	key hair stylist: extras
Marie-France Thibault	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ludovic Beurton	....	assistant unit manager
Michel Chauvin	....	production manager
Ed Harper	....	general production manager
Ed Harper	....	production manager: UK
Ali James	....	unit manager: UK
George Jardon	....	post-production supervisor
Vincent Lafrance	....	assistant unit manager
Vincent Lecerf	....	assistant unit manager
Paviel Raymont	....	assistant production manager
Martin Roy	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Iain Atkinson	....	third assistant director: UK
Fabrice Barrilliet	....	third assistant director
Martin Doepner	....	additional third assistant director
Nancy Gauthier	....	additional third assistant director
Mathieu Hiltzer	....	second assistant director
Marc Larose	....	first assistant director
Tom Rye	....	second assistant director: second unit
Don Terry	....	first assistant director: second unit
Dan Winch	....	additional assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Annie Carpentier	....	assistant props master
Simon Chamberland	....	property master
Nadine Ferenczy	....	assistant art director
Carrie Foster	....	art department coordinator
Jacky Hardouin	....	chief carpenter
Riette Hayes-Davies	....	assistant art director: UK
Brent Lambert	....	set designer
Michel R. Lambert	....	scenic technician
Raynald Langelier	....	set designer
Elissa Lewis	....	assistant art department coordinator
Julie Montplaisir	....	art department assistant
François Sénécal	....	assistant art director
André Valade	....	assistant property master
Eric Vasseur	....	head scenic painter

Sound Department
Christian Bass	....	assistant sound editor
Alexander Beddow	....	adr recordist
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist
Ray Cook	....	optical soundtrack
Michael Crouch	....	English dialogue editor
Colette Dahanne	....	adr mixer
Matthew Gough	....	sound re-recording mixer
Howard Halsall	....	French dialogue editor
Philip Jenkins	....	studio assistant
Claude La Haye	....	sound recordist
Jacques Leroide	....	adr editor
Gerard Loret	....	sound editor
Colin Miller	....	supervising sound editor
Louis Piche	....	boom operator: France & UK
Francis Péloquin	....	boom operator
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruno Ruffolo	....	adr recordist
James Seddon	....	dolby consultant
Sven Taits	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Trigg	....	foley editor
Phil Freudenfeld	....	sound studio technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Pierre Côté	....	special effects foreman
André Laforest	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Marie-Josee Auclair	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Patrice-Alain Barrette	....	technical support: Hybride
Michel Barrière	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Romain Bayle	....	matte painter: Hybride
Olivier Beaulieu	....	production assistant: Hybride
Louise Bertrand	....	bidding producer: Hybride
Benoit Blouin	....	computer graphics artist: Hybride
Cédric Bonnaffoux	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Marc Bourbonnais	....	3D lead technical director: Hybride
Caroline Brien	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Wayne Brinton	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Pascal Colpron	....	storyboard artist
Thierry Delattre	....	visuel effects supervisor: Hybride
Anouk Deveault-Moreau	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Mathieu Dupuis	....	lead digital compositor: Hybride
Yanick Gaudreau	....	computer graphics artist: Hybride
Francois Gendron	....	computer graphics artist: Hybride
Sigrun Hardardottir	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Nadine Homier	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Jean-Francois Houde	....	post production assistant: Hybride
Mathieu Lalonde	....	computer graphics artist: Hybride
Evelyne Leblond	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Martine Losier	....	visual effects coordinator: Hybride
Jocelyn Maher	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Richard Martin	....	visual effects supervisor: Hybride
Phillippe Montagny	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Robert Moodie	....	technical director: Hybride
Christian Morin	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Jonathan Paquin	....	digital effects artist: animation
Steve Pelchat	....	technical support: Hybride
Pierre Raymond	....	visual effects producer: Hybride
Sébastien Rioux	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Frederic St-Arnaud	....	matte painter: Hybride
Guillaume St-Aubin-Seers	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Sylvie Talbot	....	communications: Hybride
Philippe Theroux	....	computer graphics supervisor: Hybride
Gaetan Thiffault	....	computer graphics artist: Hybride
Mark Tureski	....	digital opticals effects
Jean Frédéric Veilleux	....	digital compositing artist: Hybride
Jessy Veilleux	....	matte painter: Hybride
Yanick Wilisky	....	computer graphics supervisor: Hybride

Stunts
Alexandre Cadieux	....	stunts
Jason Cavalier	....	stunts
Jean Frenette	....	stunt coordinator
Kevin Kelsall	....	stunt actor
Guillermo Grispo	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Claude Basselet	....	gaffer: France
Christian Caperaa	....	assistant camera
Chris Clarke	....	clapper loader: "a" camera, France/UK
Thierry Fargeau	....	assistant camera
Rob Gardner	....	additional grip: UK
Robert Gilman	....	second grip
Michel Girard	....	focus puller: "a" camera
Robert Guertin	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Brad Larner	....	focus puller: "b" camera, France/UK
David Mackie	....	clapper loader: "b" camera, France/UK
Ian Mussell	....	key grip: France & UK
Jeff Nichol	....	key grip
Richard Paré	....	electrician
Sébastien Raymond	....	still photographer
Patrick Renault	....	electrician: France
Paul Slatter	....	gaffer: UK
Bob Smith	....	camera operator: "b" camera, France
Andy Thomson	....	crane technician: UK

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pascal Gauthier	....	key extras dresser
Valérie Levesque	....	assistant costume designer
Laurence Nicolas	....	additional set costumer

Editorial Department
Karina Baccanale	....	first assistant editor
Simon Broderick	....	telecine colorist
Stéfanie Guadagnino	....	assistant editor
Arthur Montreuil	....	color timer
Etienne Patry	....	video colorist
Shaheen Sidhwa	....	post-production coordinator: UK
Mark Wright	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Lawrence Ashmore	....	orchestrator
James Bellamy	....	music editor
Lucy Evans	....	assistant music producer
Maggie Rodford	....	music producer
James Shearman	....	orchestrator
Nick Wollage	....	score recordist

Transportation Department
Raymond Hirsh	....	driver: camera truck
Jon Prévost	....	driver captain
Jose Uria	....	unit transportation coordinator
Jerome Wheeler	....	driver

Other crew
Mark Andrews	....	production executive
Emilie Barbault	....	assistant script supervisor: France/UK
François Campeau	....	office runner
Pierre Chapdelaine	....	historical consultant
Alex Costello	....	production runner: UK
Isabelle Dallaire-Rioux	....	production assistant
Suzanne De Carufel	....	location manager
François Doré	....	police liaison: Surete du Quebec, Montreal
Sophie Evans	....	assistant: Robert Sidaway
Sophie Evans	....	production coordinator: UK
Jacqueline Gamard	....	script supervisor
Robert Gray	....	subtitler
Jean-Patrick Joseph	....	special equipment supplier
Suzanne Laverdure	....	assistant location manager
Danielle Lavoie	....	production coordinator
Mélanie Lavoie	....	production coordinator
Sue Mahoney	....	assistant to line producer
Nathalie Nicol	....	subtitler
Aurélien Poitrimoult	....	production assistant
Lyne Pomerleau	....	production secretary
Manuel Pouet	....	location scout
Fernand Rainville	....	dialogue coach
Bernard Rodrigue	....	location scout
Charlie Sales	....	production coordinator: UK
Julie-Anne Szabo	....	office receptionist
Yanick Veilleux	....	production assistant
Lara Voloshin	....	assistant to producer

Thanks
Kate Sidaway	....	thanks

Production Companies

• UKFS
• Bespoke Films (co-production)
• Davis-Films
• Melenny Productions

Distributors

• Lions Gate Films
• Atypfilm (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Christal Films (Canada)
• DNC Home Entertainment (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Eagle Films (2004) (Non-USA) (all media) (middle east)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Hybride Technologies (visual effects)
• Intrigue

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• Air-Edel Associates  music services
• CINO Studios  music recorded at
• Cinepool  grip and lighting equipment
• Cutting Edge  negative cutting
• Czech Film Orchestra  music performed by
• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantor
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• On Set Stunts  stunt services
• Sound Design Company, The  post-production sound services
• Visual Motion  camera trucks and trailers provided by

Also Known As:

"Nouvelle-France" - Canada (original title)
"New France" - International (English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual content

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

Canada | France | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

UKFS

Soundtrack:

Ma Nouvelle-France

Melodramatic Tearjerker on Historical Tableau

Ultimately, this movie is a Brazilian soap opera. There are intrigues and billets-doux. The pop theme, recorded by an orchestra in Prague, is good but over-used. At least seven or eight crescendos cover various characters when they either grasp each other, look at each other or wistfully stare out windows while thinking of each other.

I didn't mind the historical and geographical inaccuracies. The need for financing seems to have motivated scenes of Pitt and Voltaire. (Was the inclusion of Franklin a failed attempt at American financing?) In fact, these scenes were not necessary since the movie used symbolism. The basic facts arguably fit the presentation. A case can be made that New France was abandoned by France, abused by the Catholic Church and strung up by England. Marie-Loup, get it? In the movie, she is illiterate but very articulate. Indeed, everyone spoke with modern international accents from mouths with white straight teeth. (So what! It's only a movie!)

Jean Beaudin made "J. A. Martin Photographe" which was both a beautiful and sensitive movie with Monique Mercure in the lead. She's in this one too but her presence only hearkens to the past. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed "Nouvelle France" but I'd probably enjoy any movie about the history of northern North America. If you have no interest in such history, this movie will be a convoluted Brazilian soap opera.