Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27176 in DVD
• Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
• Released on: 2006-11-07
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 143 minutes

Sony
Iréne Jacob (U.S. Marshalls, Othello), Vincent Perez (Cyrano de Bergerac, Queen of the Damned), Jason Isaacs (Black Hawk Down, The Patriot) and Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) star in this epic tale of a great love story thwarted by fortune and men's will.

Set against a sweeping historical fresque, the epic tale of a great love story thwarted by fortune and men's will. 1758-1761: a turbulent period bridging the collapse of New France and the establishment of the British regime. An "era of passions." This tragic love story of a young peasant girl, Marie-Loup Carignan (Godin-Vigneau), from the lower Saint Laurent River and a dashing adventurer is based on fact. As their passionate destiny advances inexorably, driven by fate, it mirrors another story that's already been written: France's abandonment of Canada.

François Le Gardeur (David La Haye), a daring and adventurous young man, rejects his family who he finds too bourgeois, preferring to roam in the forests and live with the American Indians (know as "the savages" by the settlers). Returning from hunting, he hastens back to Quebec. Too late: his father died three days early, leaving his son an inheritance that will bring him more grief than happiness. Discovers that his father was wheeling and dealing on a massive scale with Intendant Bigot. Their financial scams will eventually contribute to the fall of New France.

The day after his return Le Gardeur meets Marie-Loup and it's love at first sight. Marie-Loup is a determined young woman despite her modest origins, in advance of her era. Her outspoken attitude and free spirit is criticized by Father Blondeau, although his rebukes are tinged with indulgence as the poor man is secretly in love with her. And her friendship with "the savages" is frowned upon by the local people - she's rumored to have "witch's powers" because she uses the shaman's remedies for healing the sick.

Customer Reviews

Unfulfilled Expectations, Missed Opportunities And The Absence Of Soul
The exceedingly low marks garnered by this movie from fellow Amazon.com reviewers is I think based in large by their vision of what this film could have been rather than what it turned out to be. In other words it's being deducted a star or two because they expected more and were disappointed.

I also had high expectations of this movie that weren't fulfilled but be that as it may this is not a one or two star film. The production values are superior, the cast is strong and the soundtrack enjoyable. Actually the storyline was rather good as well, a little convoluted at times but it had potential. I also enjoyed the performance of Noemie Godin-Vigneau in the starring role of the ill-fated peasant girl and shamanistic healer. Marie-Loup Carignan. So what went wrong?

It's difficult to put my finger on exactly what I think went awry in this film and the best explanation I can come up with is a rather ambiguous "it lacks soul." It seems to me that everything else was in place for a good film but it's missing that intangible something that makes the story and characters come alive for the audience. In view of the lack for a better way to describe that missing something, I choose to call it soul.

However you want to describe it the consequences of this missing ingredient is the fact that the film lacks the ability to transport the audience into its world and engage the emotions and intellect of its viewers with the characters and events on-screen. One is left watching, all the while aware of the passing of time and the fact that they are only watching instead of participating.

My Rating: 3 ½ Stars.

Only the Brave can sit thru the entire DVD
This is clearly an example of a movie that doesn't know what it is: a romance? an historical epic? a courtroom drama? a witch hunt? a story of starcrossed lovers? I managed to somehow endure every interminable minute of it wondering when it was going to pick up its lethargic pace and get to some sort of coherent plot. As with other reviewers here, I was simply amazed at the number of very good actors going to waste. Too, I was fooled by the DVD jacket into thinking this was really about the epic Battle of Quebec in which both commanding Generals, Montcalm of France and Wolfe of England, are killed. I think I saw five or so minutes of a British mortar battery's bombardment of the city. The rest of the story wasn't worth the money. Fortunately, I only rented it...but I still feel cheated. I wish I had read the other reviews before giving up 143 minutes of my time.

OMG-one perfectly awful period piece about Quebec!
"An epic tale of desire,courage and destiny" says the DVD cover! "Rise.Unite.Fight!" DON'T BELIEVE IT and DON'T BUY IT!

I had more fun laughing at this perfectly ridiculous piece of Canadian drivel with bad script and even worse acting and direction from Jean Beaudin. The SONY-released DVD cleverly lists Canadian greats Colm Meany,Tim Roth and the revered French Gerard Depardieu at the top of the list of stars.Meany and Roth have a total of 1 minute screen time at tops in this 143 minute farce and the great Depardieu (trying to speak meaningful Quebecois-style English) is sadly stiff and laughable as a Priest who both begins and ends this tale of Quebec history that includes passion,lust,greed,betrayal and everything else that one learns in bad screenplay writing classes.

What IS wonderful about this film, and one thing only, is Patrick Doyle's soundtrack.Right off the film is filled with his beautiful music.That's all!!!!!

Fortunately,I knew Quebec history to at least have the slightest appreciation of where this film was trying to go.....but it is truly bad....I mean it,folks.....BAD!