La Reine Margot (1994 film)
La Reine Margot | |
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Directed by | Patrice Chéreau |
Screenplay by |
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Adaptation by | Danièle Thompson Patrice Chéreau |
Dialogue by | Danièle Thompson |
Based on | La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas |
Produced by | Claude Berri |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
Edited by |
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Music by | Goran Bregović |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | AMLF |
Release dates |
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Running time | 162 minutes |
Countries |
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Languages |
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Budget | $18.3 million |
Box office | $16.3 million[1] |
La Reine Margot is a 1994 historical romantic drama film directed by Patrice Chéreau, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Danièle Thompson,[2] based on the 1845 historical novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. The film stars Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez and Virna Lisi. An abridged version of the film was released as Queen Margot in North America, and in the United Kingdom under its original French title.
It won the Jury Prize and Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as five César Awards. It was later shown as part of the Cannes Classics section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[3]
Plot[]
During the late 16th century, Catholics and Protestant Huguenots are fighting over political control of France, which is ruled by the neurotic, hypochondriac King Charles IX, and his mother, Catherine de' Medici, a scheming power player. Catherine decides to make an overture of goodwill by offering up her daughter Margot in marriage to Henri de Bourbon, a prominent Huguenot and King of Navarre, although she also schemes to bring about the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, when thousands of Protestants are slaughtered. The marriage goes forward but Margot, who does not love Henri, begins a passionate affair with the soldier La Môle, also a Protestant from a well-to-do family. Murders by poisoning follow, as court intrigues multiply and Queen Catherine's villainous plotting to place her son the Duke of Anjou on the throne threatens the lives of La Môle, Margot and Henri of Navarre. A book with pages painted with arsenic is intended for Henri but instead causes the slow, agonizing death of King Charles. Henri escapes to Navarre and sends La Môle to fetch Margot, but Guise apprehends him. La Môle is beheaded in the Bastille before Margot can save him, and King Charles finally dies. Margot escapes carrying La Môle's embalmed head as Anjou is proclaimed King of France as Henry III.
Cast[]
- Isabelle Adjani as Margaret of Valois, "Queen Margot"
- Daniel Auteuil as Henri de Bourbon, future Henry IV
- Jean-Hugues Anglade as Charles IX
- Vincent Perez as La Môle
- Virna Lisi as Catherine de' Medici
- Dominique Blanc as Henriette de Nevers
- Pascal Greggory as Henri, Duke of Anjou, later Henry III
- Claudio Amendola as Coconnas
- Miguel Bosé as Henry I, Duke of Guise
- Asia Argento as Charlotte de Sauve
- Julien Rassam as François, Duke of Alençon
- Thomas Kretschmann as Nançay
- Jean-Claude Brialy as Admiral de Coligny
- Jean-Philippe Écoffey as Condé
- Johan Leysen as Maurevel
- Laure Marsac as Antoinette
- Barbet Schroeder as an advisor
- Otto Tausig as Mendès
- Bruno Todeschini as Armagnac
- Bernard Verley as the cardinal
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as a courtesan
- Hélène de Fougerolles as a courtesan
- Grégoire Colin as Young Egg
- Jean Douchet as the bishop
- Julie-Anne Roth as the kitchen girl
- Nicolas Vaude as a protestant
Production[]
The film was an international co-production between by several companies based in France, Germany, and Italy, with the additional participation of StudioCanal and the American company Miramax and the support of Eurimages. Among the locations were the Mafra Palace in Portugal, the Saint-Quentin Basilica, Saint-Quentin, Aisne, and the Château de Maulnes, Cruzy-le-Châtel in France. The organ piece played during the wedding of Margaret of Valois and Henri de Bourbon was recorded by Pierre Pincemaille on the organ of the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
Alternative versions and marketing[]
The film's original running time was 161 minutes in its premiere at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and in its French theatrical release. However, its American distributor, Miramax, asked the director to re-edit the film to 145 minutes, and this version was the version seen in cinemas outside France and later on video. The full-length version was available for a limited period in the United Kingdom on VHS in a collectors' edition box set in 1995, but all further releases, including the DVD, have used the 145 minute cut.
The re-edited version not only removed scenes, it also added a scene between Margot and La Môle, in which they stand outdoors wrapped in a red cloak. The director had cut this scene from the original 'full-length' version. The scene was re-inserted because Miramax insisted that the relationship between the two characters be more substantial, as the romance was to become the focal point for the American marketing campaign. The 'red cloak' scene appears on the US DVD cover. In contrast the Region 2 European DVD cover uses the original poster, showing a shocked Margot bespattered with blood.
Release[]
The film opened on 13 May 1994 at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and also opened nationally in France the same day.[4]
Reception[]
The film grossed 12.7 million French Francs ($2.2 million) in its first five days in France.[4] The following week it was the number one film in France after expanding from 248 to 428 screens.[5] The film had a total of 2,002,915 admissions in France.[6] In the United States and Canada, the film grossed $2,017,346 in a limited theatrical release. It had admissions of 260,000 in Germany and 530,800 in Argentina.[7]
Year-end lists[]
- Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Mike Clark, USA Today[8]
Accolades[]
See also[]
- La reine Margot – Soundtrack, album by Goran Bregović, with the music that he composed for the film
- French Wars of Religion
- La Reine Margot (1954 film), an earlier film adaption of the novel
References[]
- ^ "La Reine Margot (Queen Margot) (1994)". JPBox-Office. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Queen Margot (La Reine Margot)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ "Cannes Classics 2013 line-up unveiled". Screen Daily. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ a b Groves, Don (23 May 1994). "'Weddings,' 'Gun' ignite o'seas B.O.". Variety. p. 14.
- ^ "International box office". Variety. 30 May 1994. p. 10.
$2,742,089; $1=5.8FF
- ^ JP. "La Reine Margot (Queen Margot) (1994)- JPBox-Office". Jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Box office / business for La Reine Margot (1994)", IMDb.com
- ^ Clark, Mike (28 December 1994). "Scoring with true life, 'True Lies' and 'Fiction.'". USA Today (Final ed.). p. 5D.
External links[]
- La Reine Margot at IMDb
- La Reine Margot at AllMovie
- 1994 films
- 1994 romantic drama films
- 1990s historical drama films
- 1990s historical romance films
- Cultural depictions of Catherine de' Medici
- Cultural depictions of Henry I, Duke of Guise
- Cultural depictions of Henry III of France
- Films based on French novels
- Films based on works by Alexandre Dumas
- Films directed by Patrice Chéreau
- Films featuring a Best Actress César Award-winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor César Award-winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress César Award-winning performance
- Films produced by Claude Berri
- Films scored by Goran Bregović
- Films set in the 1570s
- Films set in France
- French films
- French historical drama films
- French historical romance films
- French-language films
- French romantic drama films
- German films
- German historical drama films
- German historical romance films
- German romantic drama films
- Incest in film
- Italian films
- Italian historical drama films
- Italian historical romance films
- Italian-language films
- Italian romantic drama films
- Miramax films