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From Amazon.co.uk
Based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas, La Reine Margot concerns the events behind infamous Massacre of St Bartholomew in sixth-century France. Isabelle Adjani plays Margot, betrothed for political reasons to one man (Daniel Auteuil) by her mother (Virna Lisi), while she is, in fact, in love with another (Vincent Pérez). Despite the bond that grows between the reluctant couple, plots are hatching all over the castle against the royals. Adventurous, exciting, erotic and given strong artistic credibility through its outstanding cast, the film is enthralling and visually sumptuous. Directed by Patrice Chereau, less known outside of France than is the film's producer, Claude Berri (director of Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources). --Tom Keogh
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Surround ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: The historical novel by Alexandre Dumas was adapted for the screen with this lavish French epic, winner of 5 Césars and a pair of awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Isabelle Adjani stars as Marguerite de Valois, better known as Margot, daughter of scheming Catholic power player Catherine de Medici (Virna Lisi). Margot is a heiress to the throne during the late 16th century reign of the neurotic, hypochondriac King Charles IX (Jean-Hugues Anglade), a time when Protestants and Catholics are vying for political control of France. Catherine decides to make an overture of good will by offering up Margot in marriage to prominent Protestant Huguenot Henri of Navarre (Daniel Auteuil), although she also schemes to bring about the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, when tens of thousands of Protestants are slaughtered. The marriage goes forward but Margot doesn't love Henri and takes a lover, the soldier La Mole (Vincent Perez), also a Protestant from a well-to-do family. Murders by poisoning follow, as court intrigues multiply and Catherine's villainous plotting to place her son Anjou (Pascal Greggory) on the throne threatens the lives of La Mole, Margot and Henri.
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Ceasar Awards, Golden Globes, Oscar Academy Awards, ...Queen Margot (1994) ( La Reine Margot )
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Ceasar Awards, Golden Globes, Oscar Academy Awards, ...Queen Margot (1994) ( La Reine Margot )
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Valerie
Format:DVD
The missing star is not for the film, but for the edition released on DVD. It's the slightly more edited Miramax release version (144 mins), not the full French original (161 mins). It's a bit less explicit and violent, and shorter. The missing bits jar, especially in the end scenes. It would be great to see the original released as even the French DVD seems to be the shorter version.
68 of 70 people found the following review helpful
By sfweston
Format:DVD
"La Reine Margot" is one of the few movies to capture the gritty reality of the 16th-century. The opulence and the extravagance sits side-by-side with dirty streets and intense violence. The acting is superb as well, with none of the cast disappointing. The powerful beauty of Isabelle Adjani contrasts powerfully with the serpentine nature of Virna Lisi as Catherine de'Medici.
The action moves from the sumptuous religious drama of Notre-Dame where an unwilling Margot is forced into marriage with her Protestant cousin, Henri; to the filthy streets of Paris, where numerous Protestants crowd the steet and Margot picks an anonymous stranger as her lover. Sewers, secret rooms, grubby streets and abandoned chateau juxtapose next to palaces, cathedrals and throne rooms. Passionate lovemaking scenes between Margot and La Mole contrast with the horrendous brutality of the Massacre and numerous secret assassinations. Artistic metaphor is rich throughout the movie, as well. Margot is married in red, but ends the film in a bride-white dress that is stained in blood.
The story - grotesque, mesmerising and violent - is based on real events; and, although not entirely accurate, it is the finest film to date on the horrific events of St. Bartholomew's Eve, 1572 and on the ultimate fall of the Valois dynasty.
The direction, the acting, the music, the scenery, the costume - everything about "La Reine Margot" is 5 stars!
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I adore this film. I've watched it four times in the last year and will probably watch it at least once more. I can't believe there are some that don't like it! One person has compared it to 'Mills & Boons'...well, it was actually written by Dumas, and it is a romance, so I'm not sure what you were expecting.
As for the gore in the film, it deals with a massacre that claimed the lives of 6000 people, so a level of gore is only to be expected.
This film is wonderful. It won the Jury Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and deservedly so. The acting is superb, winning the best actress award at cannes for Virna Lisi and an unprecedented fourth cesar award for Isabelle Adjani. The sets and costumes are impeccable. The direction is excellent and the dialogue almost poetic. I can't imagine why anyone would be dissapointed by this film. Dumas has never been done better.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This movie has it all. Action, romance, intrigue, beautiful actresses, superb actors and an incredibly thrilling story. I am from the USA and since this is only available as a Region 2 DVD, I am out of luck until they produce it in Region 1 for the USA. Had I known that there would be such discrepancies in DVD distribution, I would have paid the arm and leg for the much more expensive Region Free DVD player. As it is, I didn't and I'm out of luck. But you are not. Buy this movie and pity me with my pathetic full screen copy of it on VHS. God, I want this movie in it's beautiful DVD quality widescreen glory.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Zoe
Format:DVD
Saw this originally at the cinema, and loved it. This movie was worth a re-run. This is sumptuous historical drama at its best with many of the details taken directly from fact, and a few fictionalised extras, taken from the novel of the same name by Dumas(I have read this novel, and in this case, the movie was most definately better than the book).Wonderful cinematography, costumes and locations.Isabelle Adjani is exceptional as the royal tart-with-a-heart, with a great supporting cast telling a tale of evil manipulation versus love & loyalty. Watch as well for Virna Lisi as the macabre Catherine de Medici who makes the Cruella de Vil look like SuperNanny.
45 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By AndrewC
Format:DVD
I was amazed by the high quality of evey part of this filming. The acting, special effects, storyline, scenery, costumes, camera... I'm afraid to say that it is streets ahead of recent hollywood offerings. The subtitles are irrelevant. After five minutes one does not notice that it is in French, so captivating is the film itself.
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This film is regularly described as one of the best french films ever made, and considering how good french films often are that's saying a lot! It more than lives up to the hype. A beautiful princess who goes from spoiled nymphomaniac to romantic heroine, a wicked queen, a handsome lover, a act of horrific evil that shocked all of Europe, all suberbly acted and directed- what more could you want?!
It's also surprisingly accurate (especially when compared to Hollywood films), although the serious historian will notice some changes to the facts (but when the film's this good who cares?!).
One thing I'm sick of are the frequent comparisons between La Reine Margot and the infinitely inferior British film 'Elizabeth', which was not only laughably innacurate but completely over-the-top (and at times blatantly copied La Reine Margot! Patrice Chereau should sue!). This is a far more interesting and accomplished film than Elizabeth, and quite possibly my overall favourite. Anyone that doesn't like it has something wrong with them.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just sumptuous.
This French film from 1995 has a complex storyline, concerning true events in the year 1572. Once again, the intricate politics of the time, with the background of religious... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. P. Johnson
4.0 out of 5 stars
How different from the home life of our own dear queen!
The film of the novel by Alexandre Dumas, based upon the tragic and brutal events around the massacre of the Huguenots in 16th Century Paris. Read more
Published 4 months ago by autodidact
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love and Blood-Letting
I have seen a couple of Patrice Chereau's movies (`Son Frere' and `Gabrielle') and have been impressed, so I turned to the film that won prizes at Cannes in 1994, `La Reine... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nicholas Casley
4.0 out of 5 stars
La reine Cut version? Uk dvd widescreen
Well after reading about Catherine de Medici I was browsing Amazon and came across La Reine Margot. I had obviously heard about this film years ago but being in my teens at the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by C. W. Howarth
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Welcome to the family, it's a peculiar one...."
In a desperate attempt to unite Catholic and Protestants, a marriage of convenience is arranged. It's clear that the motives are purely political, even during the wedding... Read more
Published 18 months ago by @GeekZilla9000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vive la Reine
A film about the power of women in an age of denigration. All tales are told for a current audience and the platitudes of those who complain of historical inaccuracies need to... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2010 by Dr. Delvis Memphistopheles
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just a minute
This is one of those French films that engender far more adulation abroad than they do in France. Just compare the reviews here with those on similar message boards in France. Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2009 by R. Napier
5.0 out of 5 stars
great movie
I have given (legal)copies of this disc to so many friends who were unaware of the movie. They loved it.
Published on 8 Nov 2009 by D. Croser
5.0 out of 5 stars
What about the good old times?
This movie is perhaps not quite historical. It is a story of Alexandre Dumas. But is gives a view in the period of the hugenots and the not so decent life a the french court (which... Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2009 by P. Pieters
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authentic Historical grit
What a magnificent achievement by all concerned. It has just made vivid for me an episode of history that I have read about quite a few times, but only as a cause of other events. Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2009 by John Ferngrove
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