The Horseman on the Roof

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The Horseman on the Roof ★★½ Le Hussard sur le Toit 1995 (R)

Lavish costume drama set in Provence in the 1830s, during a cholera epidemic. Italian officer/revolutionary Angelo (Martinez) is on the run and eventually meets up with beautiful Pauline de Theus (Binoche), who hides him in a quarantined French village. Pauline's in search of her husband and Angelo reluctantly agrees to help her. Together they manage to escape a military cordon and travel to another plague town. There's lots of riding through the countryside and hiding out and not much actually happens. Nice scenery, attractive stars. Based on the 1951 novel by Jean Giono. French with subtitles; originally released at 135 minutes. 119m/C VHS, DVD . FR Olivier Martinez, Juliette Binoche, Francois Cluzet, Isabelle Carre, Jean Yanne, Claudio Amendola, Pierre Arditti; Cameos: Gerard Depardieu; D: Jean-Paul Rappeneau; W: Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Jean-Claude Carriere, Nina Companeez; C: Thierry Arbogast; M: Jean-Claude Petit. Cesar ‘96: Cinematog., Sound.