The Widow of St. Pierre (2000)
Directed by Patrice Leconte
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Period Film, Romantic Drama |
Release Date - Feb 23, 2001 (USA - Limited) |
Run Time - 113 min. |
Countries - Canada, France |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Michael Hastings
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.
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Keywords
execution, murder, love-triangle, eccentric, officer, wife, capital-punishment, guillotine