Lady Oscar (1979)

The story of Lady Oscar, a female military commander who served during the time of the French Revolution.

Director:

Jacques Demy

Writers:

Jacques Demy (screenplay and dialogue), Patricia Louisianna Knop (screenplay and dialogue)

Stars:

Catriona MacColl, Barry Stokes, Christine Böhm

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Catriona MacColl	...	Oscar Françoise de Jarjayes
Barry Stokes	...	André Grandier
Christine Böhm	...	Marie Antoinette
Jonas Bergström	...	Hans Axel von Fersen
Mark Kingston	...	Général de Jarjayes
Martin Potter	...	Comte de Giraudet, Oscar's Fiancé
Nicholas Amer	...	M. De Chantilly, the pistol duelist
Patrick Floersheim	...	Oscar's sword adversaire in tavern
Consuelo De Haviland	...	Oscar's pair at the Black Ball
Patsy Kensit	...	Oscar as a child
Andrew Bagley	...	André as a child
Cadine Constan	...	Madame de Vallois / Launderess
Anouska Hempel	...	Jeanne Vallois / Jeanne de la Motte
Shelagh McLeod	...	Rosalie Vallois
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Allan

Storyline

Oscar François de Jarjayes was born female, but her father who longed for a son and a heir insisted she be raised as a boy, alongside, Andre Grandier, the grandson of her nanny. When Oscar matures into an adult she is selected to be captain of the guards at the Palace of Versailles under King Louis XVI and Marie Antonette. Oscar soon learns the problems of the monarchy and the plight of the poor which will eventually lead to the French Revolution. She also finds herself torn between her true love for the independent, but lower-class Andre and her duties as a member of aristocracy and a trusted subject of the King and Queen.

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Plot Keywords:

nanny | versailles | king louis xvi | foreign language adaptation | woman in uniform | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan France

Language:

English German

Release Date:

3 March 1979 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Berusaiyu no bara

Filming Locations:

Auditel - 12 avenue du Maine, Paris 14, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kitty Films,Shiseido,Nippon Television Network (NTV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The major sponsor of the film was the Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido. Catriona MacColl (Oscar) promoted a red lipstick for the spring cosmetic line that year.

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Goofs

In the ballroom scene we see a string quartet and a harpsichordist. However, we hear the soundtrack of a string orchestra.

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Connections

Version of Marie Antoinette (1938)

User Reviews

Barry Lyndon's Callgirl

The sad truth is that Jaques Demy is a horrible filmmaker. The much celebrated "Umbrella's of Cherbourg" was dreadful. Absolutely dreadful, but pretty in a stagy way. There isn't much you can say when you encounter something pretty but hollow. Of course it happens all the time to me, that I find movies with no soul. like girls trained to be empty.

But there is something notable when something is so very pretty as this is, and so very empty at the same time.

The provenance of this is at least interesting: a Japanese comic book. And if you wish to sit through it, you'll see copious references to "Barry Lyndon," on which this is clearly modeled. Now the magic of that was its carefully spaced vacuums. It had engineered emptiness, something that only a master could do.

This. This is just empty.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.