Reine Margot, La | | Cast : | Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez, Virna Lisi | | Director : | Patrice Chéreau | | Studio : | Buena Vista Home Vid | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December , 1994 | | DVD Released Date : | January 04, 2005 | | Language : | English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | Queen Margot | Content
 | The product arrived promptly and in the condition it waas supposed to be in. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 20, 2005 | | Summary | A Marvelous Work of French History | Content
| I've always had a soft spot for Dumas pere, but not for American films based on his work. Most of the Three Musketeers films have been too burlesque and Iron Mask and Monte Cristo far too melodramatic. Finally with Queen Margot, someone got it right. Not surprisingly, this is a French film, although I was a bit wary of Patrice Chereau ever since his direction of Wagner's Ring in the early '80s.
Queen Margot deals with the events leading to the change of royal dynasties from the degenerate Valois to the more vigorous and adaptive (at least in the 16th and 17th Centuries) Bourbons. The specific historical setting is the St Bartholomew's Day massacres of 1672 and the next year of so in their aftermath. Although little known in America, this was a pivotal time in French history at which the Catholic and Protestant faiths reached impasse and began a century of reasonable co-existence. Daniel Auteuil plays Henri de Bourbon (to become Henri IV) wonderfully. He is a remarkably flexible actor who has been convincing in all sorts of roles from Jean de Florette to The Widow of St Pierre. Perhaps that is entirely appropriate, since Henri IV changed religions several times, the last with the famous quote that "Paris is worth a Mass."
The real merit of Queen Margot, however, is as a period piece. A have seen few productions that do such a good job depicting the urban squalor (but not necessarily poverty) that was in Paris in general and the Louvre area in particular in the 1670s. The one disadvantage of the film is that it's subtitled with the audio in French. Because of this and the pace of the plot, events can go by somewhat quickly. Accordingly, I would recommend that before watching Queen Margot a viewer spend 10 minutes in an encyclopedia and becoming familiar with the characters, particularly Admiral Coligny, Catherine de Medici (the Queen Mother), the Duc de Guise and Charles IX. The small effort will pay large dividends in following events and in enjoyment of a very wonderful film. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 14, 2005 | | Summary | surrounded by an atmosphere of slaying ... | Content
| The movie-characters, which are selected by Isabelle Adjani, often moved into the proximity of frigid coldness, arising insanity and violence. In "Diabolique" she tries to kill her husband, in "Mortelle Randonnee" she is a serial killer who lures wealthy men to their death. In "Camille Claudel" as well as in "The Story of Adele H." she even is a subject to an inexorable psychological decline process. In "Queen Margot", regarding to the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (24th August 1572) the insanity seized whole groups of peoples: The catholics slaughter the Protestant Huguenots. Unfortunately murder courses rooted in religious differences did not lose due until today at topicality and cruelty. Beside the inconceivable devilness of the Nazi regime today Serbs, African or Irish people, American Crusaders or Islamic fundamentalists unchanged are making negative headlines. As one can concern oneself Isabelle Adjani demonstrates as a duchess Margot how to intensify love-affairs though surrounded by an atmosphere of slaying. The impressiveness of the historically guaranteed material (made immortal for the literature by Alexandre Dumas with his novel "Marguerite De Valois") and the top class of the actors involved lets understand, why in its feature year 1994 the film excited so much attention and why the movie gathered so many prices ... |
| Rating | | | Date | April 03, 2005 | | Summary | Extraordinary film - terrible DVD transfer | Content
| The five stars are for the movie. I give the DVD a zero. I bought this film on DVD, even though I owned the video, specifically because when I saw this in theaters the color was remarkable - I thought I'd be able to have that experience once again on DVD - I was wrong.
This is literally the worst DVD transfer I've ever seen. The pixelation is extremely high, and there is - unbelievably - a visible shifting blur over the picture. In addition, the entire color reproduction has a dull reddish cast, which I can tell you, was not intended, as I saw this movie several times in the cinema and it was completely clear and vibrant. It is not an exaggeration to say that the color is better on my VHS version. The picture clarity is also superior on the VHS, which is inexcusable. It's needless to add that there isn't even a menu, let alone extras. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 15, 2005 | | Summary | against the grain | Content
| Other reviewers have done justice to the story and backdrop of this film and have highlighted the best performances here (particularly the luminous Isabelle Adjani and the reliable and versatile Daniel Auteuil). The film takes the viewer through the upheaval of a period in French history, with religious fervor and fighting at its core. Catholic Queen Margot (Adjani) and the Protestant King of Navarre (Auteuil) are united in an arranged marriage; not in the least interested in making this match and suspicious of what it means, the King forms an allegiance with Margot to try to protect them from the incessant intrigue and plotting on Margot's side of the family. Certainly for a better outline of the story's more intricate details, other reviews will be better. I can only lend my recommendation for this well-shot, well-cast and gripping tale concerning unlikely allies. (Also offers a gorgeous soundtrack.) |
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