Queen Margot Movie Review 1994

Blood-soaked period of French history is duly rendered on screen in big-budget costume epic. Beautiful Catholic Princess Marguerite de Valois (Adjani), is the pawn of her devious mother, the widowed queen Catherine de Medici (Lisi). Mom skillfully manipulates unstable son Charles IX (Anglade), the nominal ruler of 1570s France, while she plots to marry Margot off to Protestant Henri de Navarre (Auteuil). Margot is contemptuous of her new husband, preferring to find her amatory amusements in the Paris streets, where she takes a handsome lover de la Mole (Perez). But both Margot and Henri are united against the Queen when Catherine's minions order the murder of the rival Huguenots--a notably violent affair known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. The history's confusing, the violence graphic, the acting flamboyant, and the visuals top-notch. Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas. French with subtitles; originally released at 161 minutes.

Distribution

Miramax Film Corp., 8439 W Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069-1921, Phone: (323)650-2937, URL: http://www.miramax.com

Available on VHS
Running time 135 minutes.
Originally from French.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Historical Drama, Royalty, French, France, Religion, Marriage, Family Ties, Books to Film: Alexandre Dumas, Period Piece: 16th Century

Screenplay

Patrice Chereau, Daniele Thompson

Cast

Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Virna Lisi, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez, Pascal Greggory, Miguel Bose, Dominique Blanc, Claudio Amendola, Asia Argento, Julien Rassam, Jean-Claude Brialy

Cinematography

Philippe Rousselot

Director

Patrice Chereau

Music

Goran Bregovic

Producer

Claude Berri, Pierre Grunstein, Renn Productions, France 2 Cinema, D.A. Films, Miramax Films

Awards

Cannes 1994: Special Jury Prize, Actress (Lisi); Cesar 1995: Actress (Adjani), Cinematog., Costume Des., Support. Actor (Anglade), Support. Actress (Lisi).