The Widow of Saint-Pierre

views updated

The Widow of Saint-Pierre ★★★ La Veuve de Saint-Pierre 2000 (R)

Saint-Pierre is a remote French-run island off the coast of Newfoundland. In 1849, drunken sailor Neel Auguste (Kusturica) is involved in a murder and condemned to death via guillotine—known as the “widow.” But the island doesn't have one and it must be sent from another French colony. In the meantime, Auguste is in the custody of the local military officer, Le Capitaine (Auteuil), whose compassionate wife (Binoche) has a repentent Auguste released to do chores for the islanders. But the more Auguste becomes part of the community, the more the townspeople become uneasy about the rightness of his fate. French with subtitles. 112m/C VHS, DVD . FR Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil, Emir Kusturica, Michel Duchaussoy, Sylvie Moreau, Sarah McKenna, Reynald Bouchard, Philippe Magnan; D: Patrice Leconte; W: Claude Faraldo; C: Eduardo Serra; M: Pascal Esteve.