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THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER based on a story by Madame de Lafayette, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Mélanie Thierry, Gaspard Ulliel, Lambert Wilson and Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet.
In Sixteen Century France a savage religious war is ripping the country apart. Carnage, corruption and mayhem stalk the land, taking lives and shaping history. Amidst the tragedy, loss and power struggles of war, a young aristocratic heiress by the name of Marie DeMezieres has fallen passionately in love with the dashing Henri DeGuise. But due to the political ambitions of her manipulative and controlling father Marie has been forced into an arranged marriage to the Prince of Montpensier. Between duty and passion can Marie fight her fate to reclaim her destiny?
The Princess of Montpensier is a vivid and compelling historic drama. A sweeping epic of love, rivalry, intrigue and conflict, told in a language that can only be described as pure cinema.
Extras
In Sixteen Century France a savage religious war is ripping the country apart. Carnage, corruption and mayhem stalk the land, taking lives and shaping history. Amidst the tragedy, loss and power struggles of war, a young aristocratic heiress by the name of Marie DeMezieres has fallen passionately in love with the dashing Henri DeGuise. But due to the political ambitions of her manipulative and controlling father Marie has been forced into an arranged marriage to the Prince of Montpensier. Between duty and passion can Marie fight her fate to reclaim her destiny?
The Princess of Montpensier is a vivid and compelling historic drama. A sweeping epic of love, rivalry, intrigue and conflict, told in a language that can only be described as pure cinema.
Extras
- 60 min Making Of directed by Pierre-Henry Gilbert
- UK exclusive Interview With Bertrand Tavernier
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Antenna
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Visually very beautiful and well-acted, this is the tale of how the innocent young Marie De Mezieres falls for the handsome, swashbuckling Henri De Guise but is forced for political reasons to marry the cold and unappealing young Prince of Montpensier. Still very young, she continues to receive lessons from the Prince's tutor, and some of the most moving and occasionally tense aspects of the film arise from the older man's love for her, which has to remain suppressed and unexpressed.
Many of the characters are two-dimensional, prone to sudden unconvincing changes in behaviour, or are caricatured (the tutor came across to me as the most "real" person), and the scenes are often too stylised for one to be deeply affected by the drama. I found myself more moved by the tutor's plight than the fate of the princess, which I do not think was the author's intention. Lacking a grounding in French history, I found some of the details hard to follow, but the bitter mistrust between the Catholics and Protestants forms an interesting background and overall it is quite entertaining.
Many of the characters are two-dimensional, prone to sudden unconvincing changes in behaviour, or are caricatured (the tutor came across to me as the most "real" person), and the scenes are often too stylised for one to be deeply affected by the drama. I found myself more moved by the tutor's plight than the fate of the princess, which I do not think was the author's intention. Lacking a grounding in French history, I found some of the details hard to follow, but the bitter mistrust between the Catholics and Protestants forms an interesting background and overall it is quite entertaining.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love, Religion, Intrigue and a smattering of War in 16th Century France
26 Dec 2011
By Tommy D
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
This is a French (sub titled!)period drama that takes us back to the religious wars of the sixteenth century. It begins in 1567 and the Prince of Montpensier (Gregorie Leprince-Ringuet) is returning from the fighting. His cousin Henri de Guise, is in love with Marie, but she is betrothed to his brother. However the Princes' dad has made her dad an offer and dowry he can not refuse and so she is packed off to become a princess (every girl's worst nightmare I suppose). Meanwhile the Prince has saved the life of his erstwhile tutor and mentor, the Compte de Chabannes (Lambert Wilson). The Compte has fought for the Catholics and the Protestants, but after accidentally killing a pregnant woman, he has become disillusioned with the whole war. He is left to guard the Princess and oops, her womanly charms get to him too - what is she like?
That is the stage well and truly set, what happens next is a sprawling tale of love and loss and duty and obedience as well as a few fights along the way. The trailers for this film do have a lot of fighting in them. The film is much more of a drama than a battle fest. The fighting that is done is well above average, I particularly like the great attention to period detail. Also it is done in real time, none of that speeded up malarkey or shaky camera angles that so many film makers opt for these days.
There are also some great moments of social etiquette history, like the wedding night scene where both the entire families gather to ensure consummation. Seriously I would not have been able to raise a smile, let alone anything else. The cinematography is luscious, all of the horses are beautiful, something I have never noticed in a film before, the costumes are exquisite and the whole thing has a feel of quality.... Read more ›
That is the stage well and truly set, what happens next is a sprawling tale of love and loss and duty and obedience as well as a few fights along the way. The trailers for this film do have a lot of fighting in them. The film is much more of a drama than a battle fest. The fighting that is done is well above average, I particularly like the great attention to period detail. Also it is done in real time, none of that speeded up malarkey or shaky camera angles that so many film makers opt for these days.
There are also some great moments of social etiquette history, like the wedding night scene where both the entire families gather to ensure consummation. Seriously I would not have been able to raise a smile, let alone anything else. The cinematography is luscious, all of the horses are beautiful, something I have never noticed in a film before, the costumes are exquisite and the whole thing has a feel of quality.... Read more ›
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Set in the period approaching the Massacre of St Bartholomew's Day this is a tale of lovers separated by an arranged marriage, of greed, innocence and jealousy. If the history of the wealthy seems rather frenetic it was never more so than in this era (a mixture perhaps of more wine than water and the nearness of death).
The film is beautifully set in its era using the Comte de Chabannes, a retired soldier, as an example of its rational side. It features the usual historical cast: Guise, Anjou (very convincingly played), and the Queen Mother; all well acted in splendid costume and sets, not quite the equal of Vatel but then the monarchy was not as wealthy as that of Louis. However, within this setting the story is the old, old, one of unrequited love. Lambert Wilson as the almost Don Quixote (he even has the hat) Comte de Chabannes, Mélanie Thierry as the child-like but beautiful Princesse (at times with an almost Bardot look), Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet as the shambling, decent but jealous husband, and other excellent performances just add to a piece whose general trajectory is doomward.
I think it will be a mite too long for many. Watching La Reine Margot before will also help you with understanding the "runners and riders" of the Wars of Religion.
The film is beautifully set in its era using the Comte de Chabannes, a retired soldier, as an example of its rational side. It features the usual historical cast: Guise, Anjou (very convincingly played), and the Queen Mother; all well acted in splendid costume and sets, not quite the equal of Vatel but then the monarchy was not as wealthy as that of Louis. However, within this setting the story is the old, old, one of unrequited love. Lambert Wilson as the almost Don Quixote (he even has the hat) Comte de Chabannes, Mélanie Thierry as the child-like but beautiful Princesse (at times with an almost Bardot look), Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet as the shambling, decent but jealous husband, and other excellent performances just add to a piece whose general trajectory is doomward.
I think it will be a mite too long for many. Watching La Reine Margot before will also help you with understanding the "runners and riders" of the Wars of Religion.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By schumann_bg
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Period dramas usually put me off with their Madame Tussaud's aesthetic and melodramatics, but this one by Bertrand Tavernier is unusually good. It is very fluid and well acted, and many of the shots are quite lovely, capturing the chateaux of the Loire (one is Blois, the other I'm not sure) against which the one on the cover is considered embarrassingly modest in the film. It also has four photogenic heroes and one heroine also of considerable allure, so there is no lack of eye candy, and it is shot with a great feel for lighting and textures without becoming too arty. It's a bit like one of those paintings by someone thought of as secondary which suddenly strikes you and which you end up loving far more than those by more famous contemporaries. It also has an adroit use of music which points up its sensuality without any recourse to swirling strings and emotive gestures. And what sensuality! I must admit I fairly gulped when Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet got out of bed and went over to the window totally naked, his melons-like derriere even more ravishingly caught than in Les Chansons d'amour, and with more of an element of surprise. Oddly no one seemed to be lusting to get to grips with it, although passions are flying off in every other direction. Gaspard Ulliel is the most obvious pinup of the male cast, with his superbly handsome features and amazing dimple, explained in the plot as a battle scar but actually dating from a dog bite the actor suffered as a child. And Lambert Wilson looks as dashing as ever in the most interesting role in the film, perhaps, while Melanie Thierry has big lips that look very luscious against her loosened hair and cameo complexion.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
see my previous reviews of angelique as this lady played a major role...
loved this due to the connection to my previous reads " Angelique" wish itd been in English tho if u love history this hacks it tho
Published 13 days ago by shazbutxanda
4.0 out of 5 stars
Religious war with style
This work by the 70 year old Tavernier is a master class in how to make a serious slice of history both entertaining and informative. Read more
Published 7 months ago by barnstormer7
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good , very beautiful...
proof one can have very good quality cinema at reasonable prices + the opportunity of practicing one's french - doesn't get much better than this
Published 11 months ago by nuno1959
2.0 out of 5 stars
The princesess of montpensier
This was not enjoyable as it was not in english and had no subtitles.There is not much I can say about this. Sorry.
Published 16 months ago by M. R. Mason
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