Long-established director Emir Kusturica makes his acting debut in Patrice Leconte's 19th century tale of a loyal, strong-willed woman who follows her soldier husband to a desolate French territory off the coast of Newfoundland. Madame La (Juliette Binoche) lives in marital bliss on the island of Saint-Pierre with her loving, oddball husband (Daniel Auteuil), simply called "the Captain" by his charges. Their world is upset one night, however, when two visiting sailors on a bender murder a local
citizen. Neel (Kusturica) is sentenced to death, but the other one dies in a carriage accident before reaching prison. As the island waits for a guillotine (or "widow") to be shipped from the French government, Madame La does her best to convince the townspeople that Neel is genuinely good of heart and doesn't deserve a bloody fate. La Veuve de Saint-Pierre marks the second time that Auteuil has worked with director Leconte: their first effort, La Fille Sur la Pont, earned him a Best Actor award at the Cesars, France's equivalent to the Academy Awards. La Veuve screened at the 2000 Cannes and Toronto film festivals. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
The film seems to be saying, though, that the taking of a life -- whether by murderers or by the state -- is only possible when we refuse to recognize the humanity in others. And this is a message we all need to hear.
Protagonizando uma história emocionalmente complexa, Binoche, Auteuil e Kusturica conferem peso dramático aos seus personagens, apesar da direção distante de Leconte impedir que o espectador se envolva intensamente com a trama.
An affirmation of the complexity of women. Here, a guard captain's wife campaigns for the life of a condemned man, knowing that her actions threaten her husband's career and possibly endanger his life. Perplexing behavior indeed but director Patrice Leconte uses it to full effect, adding humanistic elements to what
otherwise could have been a listless period piece. An intelligent, insightful film.
January 10, 2009
Randy Tippy
Super Reviewer
Such a sad and hopeless movie. People weren't very nice back in 1849! Hopefully the Widow can find a love in her life again. I was dissapointed Louis didn't live very long.
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