Product Description

1849, on the cod islands of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, two drunk men commit a senseless murder. One is sentenced to death and must wait in the custody of the captain of the island's guard until a guillotine can arrive from Martinique. During the months of waiting, the convict Neel Auguste becomes the protégé of the captain's wife, Madame La. As she guides Neel to redemption through good works, sobriety, and study, the men of the small French elite who govern the islands criticize the captain for the latitude he gives his wife. He offends them further through his extraordinary love for her, his abrupt manner, and his growing defense of Neel. What will he do when the guillotine arrives?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #113548 in DVD
• Formats: Color, Import, Subtitled
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 112 minutes

Customer Reviews

A Brilliant and Somber Film
THE WIDOW has to do with the intersection of law, destiny, criminal guilt, and rehabilitation. In other words, it's serious business. The compelling acting of Binoche and company carries off this understated (yet melodramatic!) film. Many long takes and minimal dialogue.

Warning: Capital punishment advocates should probably avoid this film, as THE WIDOW may behead their belief.

Average if somewhat odd film with great images and acting.
First of all let me say when I hear "Patrice Leconte" I think about
"Ridicule", which to me was one of the best films I've ever seen, so I
am biased for the director. That being said, I hardly recognized his
work here. The characters were cold, their emotions either over the top
(Pauline/Madame La), subdued to extremes (Jean, the captain) or simply
idealized (Ariel Neel Auguste). What I liked most about this film is
the way that "traditional societies" are depicted.

Besides the beautiful lighting (the scenes at the stables, with the
snow and the sea) and correct music (when the captain listens to violin
music, there's a dissonant background melody, hinting at what will come
next subtly) I felt common sense was missing from the story from the
start, with such unusual circumstances of a captain taking for a victim
just because... he loved his wife so much? But how could he not realize
he was undermining his position in a traditional society?

I agree with the IMDb reviewer "rps-2" that it's a "morality tale" and
a melodrama (all things surrounding the famous guillotine are tart and
repetitive). I think that makes its "point" ("yet another plea against
death penalty") fade in the fog of the plot. The Governor's last scene
is another case in point.

Overall... I liked having watched it. But I'd never buy it!

PS: Try to watch it on a big wide screen, the landscapes are probably
lost on a 21' TV screen like the one I saw it.