The Return of Martin Guerre
by Daniel Vigne
Our Price: $53.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $8.45 (click here)
Category: VHS Video
See more movie releases
Buy this VHS video movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, G?rard Depardieu, Isabelle Sadoyan, Maurice Barrier, Nathalie BayeDirector: Daniel Vigne
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Original Language), Analog
Format: Color, Letterboxed, NTSC, Original recording reissued, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 111 minutes
Release Date: 1997-11-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Fox Lorber
Studio: Fox Lorber
VHS Movie Reviews of The Return of Martin Guerre
Movie Review: No Spoilers, Just A Review
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw this film on VHS back in college, and can't say its release on DVD does a lot in terms of enhancing the experience of seeing it again, but it's an interesting story: up to a point. I know it's based on an actual event but were this a novel it'd be one of those of which I'd say it would've made a far better short story.
The question of whether the man who returns home from war in the 16th century is actually the same long-lost Martin who left his family years before, or an imposter, is intriguing for those who may not be in the know, but the time in between the introduction of the mystery and the conclusion doesn't feature much in the way of goings on. I think this could have been a much better movie had there been a greater effort to show rural village life during this period, or even had it aimed to become a love story. As it was it relied too heavily on its own central question (is it Martin or not?) to carry its whole running time, and there simply was not enough material to achieve that. It's also the kind of movie that doesn't offer much on a repeat viewing. (I got the DVD for someone as a gift, and watched it with him.) Gerard Depardieu was unusually sedate in the title role, and those who might not know about it should be aware that there is the typical quota of nudity you might expect in a European release.
One final note, this is the film that back in the `90's inspired an American remake called Sommersby, that starred Jodie Foster, James Earl Jones, and Richard Gere, although in that case the events were advanced in time to the post-American Civil War, and wholly invented, not based on historical fact.
Summary of The Return of Martin Guerre
While many ugly Americans best remember Gerard Depardieu from late-'80s Hollywood fluff (and the less said about Green Card the better), his art-house reputation as a legitimate, conscientious actor was more than mere hype. The solid Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre) stands as Depardieu's personal high-water mark: here, he was handed a well-written, nuanced role--one inviting a balanced display of intelligence, charismatic cool, and pure passion--and he makes the most of it. The narrative, set in medieval France during the Hundred Years' War, follows the alleged homecoming of a soldier after many years of absence. His wife (a structurally difficult role to portray with any skill, but played gamely here by the fetching Nathalie Baye) finds him such an improvement--both in the sack and otherwise--from the husband who left for the front that she ignores the villagers' suspicions that he is an impostor. The costumes and scenery are quite a bit better, and more historically responsible, than what we've all come to expect from period drama, and the logical flaws and obvious questions begged by the plot mechanics are smoothed out by director Daniel Vigne's steady hand with story art and cinematic pacing. The film was remade in English, and updated to the Reconstruction, in 1993 as Sommersby, starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. See this original instead. --Miles BethanyArt House & International VHS Video
VHS Video Movies
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation VHS Video
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics VHS Video
- Comedy VHS Video
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama VHS Video
- Educational
- Fitness
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror VHS Video
- Kids & Family
- Military & War VHS Video
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports VHS Video
- Television VHS Video
- Westerns VHS Video
Movies most talked about in Fabulous French Flix
The Return of Martin GuerreFox Lorber; Release date: 1997-11-11; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $64.99
Olivier OlivierSony Pictures; Release date: 1995-01-17; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Cyrano de BergeracTWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2004-02-10; DVD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Manon of the SpringRelease date: 2001-01-23; DVD
Best price: $5.20
Price in other shops:
Jean De FloretteRelease date: 2001-01-23; DVD
Best price: $6.69
Price in other shops:
AmelieTAUTOU,AUDREY; Release date: 2002-07-16; DVD
Best price: $10.80
Price in other shops:
IndochineRelease date: 2000-03-21; DVD
Best price: $13.95
Price in other shops:
Forbidden Games - Criterion CollectionRelease date: 2005-12-06; DVD
Best price: $19.95
Price in other shops:
Similar VHS Movies
Sicko (Special Edition)WELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2007-11-06; DVD
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops:
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Sony; Release date: 2007-02-20; DVD
Best price: $12.72
Price in other shops:
Beauty and The Beast - Criterion Collection (Restored Edition)Image Entertainment; Release date: 2003-02-11; DVD
Best price: $23.99
Price in other shops:
Jean De Florette / Manon of the Spring (MGM World Films)TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2007-07-24; Published: 1987; DVD
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops:
La Haine (Criterion Collection)Image Entertainment; Release date: 2007-04-17; DVD
Best price: $27.06
Price in other shops:
Schindler's List (Widescreen Edition)Universal; Release date: 2004-03-09; DVD
Best price: $10.98
Price in other shops:
The Lives of OthersSony; Release date: 2007-08-21; DVD
Best price: $12.22
Price in other shops:
A Man for All Seasons (Special Edition)Sony; Release date: 2007-02-20; DVD
Best price: $7.53
Price in other shops:
Cyrano de BergeracTWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2004-02-10; DVD
Best price: $6.67
Price in other shops:
The Return of Martin Guerreby Natalie Zemon Davis
Harvard University Press; Published: 1984-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: