Le bossu (1997)

The Comte de Gonzague schemes against his cousin, the Duc de Nevers, even though he is the Duke's heir and will inherit his estates. The Count has kept secret the existence of the Duke's ... See full summary »

Director:

Philippe de Broca

Writers:

Philippe de Broca, Jean Cosmos

Stars:

Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Auteuil	...	Lagardère / Le bossu
Fabrice Luchini	...	Gonzague
Vincent Perez	...	Duc de Nevers
Marie Gillain	...	Aurore
Yann Collette	...	Peyrolles
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Cocardasse
Didier Pain	...	Passepoil
Charlie Nelson	...	Esope
Claire Nebout	...	Blanche
Philippe Noiret	...	Philippe d'Orléans
Jacques Sereys	...	Caylus (as Jacques Sereys Sociétaire de la Comédie Française)
Renato Scarpa	...	Paolo
Ludovica Tinghi	...	Ornella
James Thierrée	...	Marcello (as James Thiérrée)
Sacha Bourdo	...	Giuseppe

Storyline

The Comte de Gonzague schemes against his cousin, the Duc de Nevers, even though he is the Duke's heir and will inherit his estates. The Count has kept secret the existence of the Duke's bastard, recently born. When the Duke learns of his child, he journeys to wed the mother, a baron's daughter, in her father's isolated chateau. The occupants of the castle are surprised and murdered by the Count and his men. The only ones to escape are the Duke's friend, the skilled swordsman Lagardère, and the infant, a girl, now the rightful heiress to the Duke's vast fortune. The Count believes the pair to have drowned, when in fact they have been concealed by a travelling troupe of Italian players. Twenty years pass. The Count has discovered that the two survive and seeks to have them slain. But Lagardère gains the confidence of the Count, and employment as his bookkeeper, through his clever disguise as a hunch-back...

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Plot Keywords:

france | 1700s | disguise | adventure hero | philippe d'orleans | 

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Taglines:

Si tu ne viens pas à Lagardère, Lagardère ira à toi!

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Genres:

Drama | Adventure

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

France Italy Germany

Language:

French Italian

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

En guardia!

Filming Locations:

Hôtel de Sully, Paris 4, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$56,158, 22 March 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$96,750, 9 February 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alicéléo,Canal+,Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the Duc dubs Lagardère, the sword he draws and uses is a fencing foil, complete with guarded tip, rather than the rapier he uses in a later scene.

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Connections

Version of Le bossu (1944)

User Reviews

Magnifique!

How I love a good swash buckling adventure, and Le bossu is exactly that. It is an exciting and fun adaptation of a classic story, and where it works is in its success in trying to make it appeal to everybody. The story is classic, and thanks to the crisp pacing and solid storytelling Le bossu does do an above credible job adapting it. The action is terrific and doesn't look clumsy in any way, and the screenplay is very witty. Other strong assets are the rousing score, assured direction and especially the gorgeous locations, costumes and photography. The acting is also great, Daniel Auteuil is brilliant in the title dual role, Marie Gillian is a beautiful and convincing Aurore, Vincent Perez is fine as Duc De Nevers and Fabrice Luchini is an excellent villain of the piece. All in all, a wonderful film! 10/10 Bethany Cox