This story is supposedly based on a true story, though the story is so fantastic it's hard to imagine that it actually occurred. The story, in brief, is that a man named Martin Guerre went off to war and was not seen for nearly a decade. When he returned, he seemed to be a nicer person--and in particular, a more attentive and less impotent husband. No one really questioned any of this until a disagreement arose between Martin and his uncle. At that point, the possibility that this was NOT Martin arose and much of the movie consists of the court trials attempting to get at the truth. Exactly what occurs I'll leave to the viewer so as not to spoil it.
The acting is wonderful--particularly Gerard Depardieu. The costumes are also very good and fit the era well. And, the movie is a lot more interesting that the American remake (Sommersby) in every way. The story is awfully complex and interesting as well, but it does, at times, drag a bit--so some with shorter attention-spans and little interest in period dramas would certainly be put off by this. I loved it, but given that I am a history teacher, this isn't so surprising.
An interesting tiny and unimportant mistake that my wife noticed was that the inside of the church in the film shows very very faded painting on the walls. However, when the film was to have occurred, they probably would have really been fresher--and a lot brighter. I never noticed this but she was right.
The acting is wonderful--particularly Gerard Depardieu. The costumes are also very good and fit the era well. And, the movie is a lot more interesting that the American remake (Sommersby) in every way. The story is awfully complex and interesting as well, but it does, at times, drag a bit--so some with shorter attention-spans and little interest in period dramas would certainly be put off by this. I loved it, but given that I am a history teacher, this isn't so surprising.
An interesting tiny and unimportant mistake that my wife noticed was that the inside of the church in the film shows very very faded painting on the walls. However, when the film was to have occurred, they probably would have really been fresher--and a lot brighter. I never noticed this but she was right.