Beatrice (1987)

A warrior leaves home to fight in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between France and England. Before his departure, he gives his 10-year-old son, François, a sword to safeguard his ... See full summary »

Director:

Bertrand Tavernier

Writer:

Colo Tavernier (as Colo Tavernier O'Hagan)

Stars:

Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Julie Delpy, Nils Tavernier

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu	...	François / Béatrice's father (as Bernard Pierre Donnadieu)
Julie Delpy	...	Béatrice / François' daughter
Nils Tavernier	...	Arnaud / François' son
Monique Chaumette	...	La mère de François / François' mother
Robert Dhéry	...	Raoul
Michèle Gleizer	...	Hélène
Maxime Leroux	...	Richard / Knight
Jean-Claude Adelin	...	Lemartin / Landlord (as Jean Claude Adelin)
Jean-Louis Grinfeld	...	Maître Blanche / White Master (as Jean Louis Grinfeld)
Claude Duneton	...	Le Curé / The parish priest
Isabelle Nanty	...	La Nourrice / Nanny
Jean-Luc Rivals	...	Jehan / dwarf (as Jean Luc Rivals)
Roselyne Vuillaume	...	Marie (as Rosaline Villaumé)
Maïté Maillé	...	La Noiraude / The Blackwoman
Albane Guilhe	...	La Recluse / The recluse

Storyline

A warrior leaves home to fight in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between France and England. Before his departure, he gives his 10-year-old son, François, a sword to safeguard his mother and her virtue. One day, after the boy opens a bedroom door to find his mother willingly submitting to a man, he uses the sword to kill the man and becomes traumatized with guilt and enmity toward his mother. Years later, he must go off to war as a chevalier, or knight. While he is away, his daughter, the gentle and loving Béatrice, sees to the needs of her little brother and her feckless mother. Although the castle in which they live is a sepulcher of shadows and stone, she maintains her spirits as she looks forward to the day when her father's voice will once again echo in the corridors. After four years of war in which he was held captive for a time by the English, he returns to the castle, a hardened warrior who has renounced God. Inside his twisted mind, he still carries the memory of that ...

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Plot Keywords:

breast feeding an adult | female pubic hair | female full frontal nudity | older woman younger man relationship | forced to strip | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 November 1987 (France)

Also Known As:

Beatrice

Filming Locations:

Château de Puivert, Aude, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,781, 20 March 1988

Gross USA:

$211,821

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$211,821

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cléa Productions, AMLF, TF1 Films Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

La Noiraude: The earth is flooded with brutes., and they'll procreate. The plague is nothing in comparison.

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Soundtracks

Pie Jesu
Composed by Lili Boulanger
Conducted by Igor Markevitch
Courtesy of Everest Records

User Reviews

Visually strong, it will stay with you!

Set in Medieval France, La Passion Beatrice explores the coming of age of a young woman. The film is very bright and colorful, in contrast to the dark themes. The brightness works well to maintain the outlook of youth, of hope, of optimism in the face of the meanness of middle age life. In contrast to the brightness of Beatrice is the darkness of her war hero father who has become a vicious bandit manor lord.

Quite strong, even if a fairly repulsive story.

Watch this once on video with the subtitles covered so you can concentrate on the imagery.