gavin6942 In medieval France, some villagers challenge a man (Gerard Depardieu)'s claim of identity when he (as he says) returns home from some time in the army.This is sort of like the story of Odysseus, if the story went horribly awry and another man came home and claimed to be him while the real man was lost at sea. It seems hard to believe anyone could so easily masquerade as another person amongst their family and friends, and yet this is allegedly a true story.American audiences might be more familiar with the Hollywood version. "Sommersby" is a 1993 Hollywood remake of the film in English, transposed to the American Civil War and starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. A shame they had to remake it, but at least they cast it well.

James Hitchcock Martin Guerre was a young man who, in 1548, disappeared from the southern French village of Artigat after being accused of stealing grain from his father. Eight years later, a man arrived in Artigat claiming to be Martin. He was accepted as such by Guerre's wife Bertrande and family, and lived with Bertrande as her husband for three years, although some villagers entertained doubts about his identity. Rumours, encouraged by Guerre's uncle Pierre who was involved in a property dispute with his supposed nephew, began to spread that this "Martin" was in fact an impostor. He was arrested and placed on trial, but his intimate knowledge of Guerre's past life and the support he still enjoyed from many villagers seemed likely to secure his acquittal. During the trial, however, there was a dramatic development; another man turned up claiming to be Martin Guerre. It was quickly established that the newcomer was indeed the true Martin and that the impostor was in reality a man from a neighbouring village named Arnaud du Tilh. Du Tilh was convicted and subsequently hanged, adultery and fraud being capital offences in the France of this period. A number of writers and film-makers have taken inspiration from these events, Whereas the later American film "Sommersby" tells a fictitious tale loosely based upon the story of Martin Guerre, transferring the action to nineteenth-century Virginia, Daniel Vigne's film is a reasonably accurate version of the historical events, aiming at a reconstruction of 16th century French peasant life. The main role, that of du Tilh, is taken by Gérard Depardieu, possibly France's finest modern screen actor. His attempts to conquer Hollywood have not been very successful, but I have never seen him give a poor performance in his native language, and this is a fine one, playing his character as a plausible and at times almost likable rogue. He is particularly good in the electrifying trial scene. Whatever else du Tilh may have been, he was clearly a consummate actor, and Depardieu's impassioned speeches reflect his character's knowledge that he needs to give the performance of his life, as that life now depends upon his acting skills. Just as it seems that du Tilh has succeeded in his imposture, Vigne interrupts the proceedings with a brilliant coup de cinema; the sight of a man with a wooden leg entering the courtroom. Or rather the sight of the wooden leg itself- the angle from which the scene is shot means that we see this before we see the man's face. (We have heard it suggested that the newcomer cannot be Martin Guerre because the real Martin, after leaving the village, joined the army and lost a leg in battle). Other acting fine contributions come from Roger Planchon as Jean de Coras, the humane and sceptical lawyer in charge of the investigation, and Nathalie Baye as Bertrande, a young woman placed in a difficult situation by the return of her supposed "husband". It is implied that Bertrande, despite her doubts, welcomed du Tilh into her bed because he was both a better lover and a more considerate husband than the departed Martin, who seems to have been deficient in both departments. I would, perhaps, have welcomed a greater exploration of why du Tilh might have tried to claim another man's identity, although Vigne possibly wanted to create a sense of mystery by keeping alive as long as possible the thought that Depardieu's character might actually be the real Martin. Vigne makes use of few bright colours other than the green of the vegetation and the red of the judges' robes during the trial; in the days before chemical dyestuffs bright colours did not play a large part in the lives of the peasantry. Visually, however, the film is suffused with a warmth of tone reminiscent of an Old master painting; I was particularly put in mind of the works of Breughel and Georges de la Tour celebrating peasant life. It is sometime said that the British are obsessed with the glories of their past, and that in the cinema this is reflected by the large number of films made on a historical theme. French film-makers, however, seem equally obsessed with history, and this was particularly true in the eighties and nineties. "Le Retour de Martin Guerre" is one of a number of fine French films on a historical theme to date from this period. (Others include "Jean de Florette", "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Le Colonel Chabert", all of which also starred Depardieu). It is well-filmed and well-acted and takes an intelligent and humane look at the strange historical events which inspired it. 8/10

graycat-1 I can't find an attribution, but I think it was Mae West that said: . . . a hard man is good to find . . . Certainly that is the attitude of Nathalie Baye's Bertrande de Rols. The story begins in 1542, not the middle ages as stated, but the age of the Reformation, the Council of Trent and the turbulent religious wars. Though the original Martin Guerre (there is meaning in this name, St. Martin of Tours was actually Hungarian, I believe) is a veteran of the Battle of St. Quentin little of the days current events intrudes on Martin and Bertande's village, and contributes little to this romantic triangle. After two hours the two Martin Guerres cancel each other and what is left is Nathalie Baye's wonderful performance as Bertrande de Rols and her concurrence with Mae West.

BigFlax I mean, I know there are, but come on.Martin and Bertrande got married. Martin was not a very good husband. They finally had a child. Martin left. Many years later, he came back. Or did he?The premise behind "Le Retour de Martin Guerre" ("The Return of Martin Guerre," obviously) is that someone has returned after many years saying he is Martin and that he has been at war. But is it Martin or Arnaud du Tihl? Bertrande says it's Martin. Martin's uncle says it's Arnaud. Whoever it is seems to know an awful lot about Martin's life, but on the other hand, his feet are a couple sizes too small.Depardieu (as the returned Martin... or is he?), Nathalie Baye as Bertrande, and Roger Planchon as Jean de Coras, the chief investigator into the matter, all give fine performances, and the matter of who Depardieu really is is in doubt right up until the last, a good sign. It's ironic that a 1500s period piece ends up turning into a whodunit courtroom drama, but it works well. The final ending is a bit of a letdown, but it's what had to happen, so it doesn't take too much away from the picture. (A-)