Wednesday, April 09, 2014

H - L'Hussard Sur le Toit, The Horsman on the Roof


 


Today I'm changing it up because though what I'm going to post about is French, it isn't a place, but a movie. "L'Hussard Sur le Toit" the American title is The Horseman on the Roof. Which is one of my all time favorite French films. It stars Juliette Binoche and Olivier Martinez. Also Gerard Depardieu. Stunning photography and a story based on the 1951 French novel of the same name by  Jean Giono, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. It has history, passion (my favorite parts!), love, duty, honor, the cholera plague, and scenery to die for. Set during the 1500s during a Cholera epidemic, a woman is driven to discover if her husband is safe or not. A man in the Italian army, a Colonel, a Hussard, is being chased by assassins. They meet and soon are traveling together. I won't say anymore but you know they are destined to fall in love. The scenery in this film is so well done that the places become as important as the people in the story. They truly make the film, as if a character alone in itself.

Original movie poster in France
The one for the States

The book cover

The Horseman on the roof! Yep, he actually did go on the rooftops at one point...

Almost caught by guards wanting to put her in quarantine.
But she's no pansy and fought back

So did he. Great move in the movie when he throws the sword straight up and the crowd must move back to avoid its return to earth.
So beautiful

Yes, gorgeous eye candy...
Images from:
www.toutlecine.com

3 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa .. we have lots of films here at our Film Society's selection, while the cinema brings down French films for the foreign English language students in the town .. so I see a great many. This one I haven't seen .. it looks a wonderful romantic film with beautiful settings - no wonder you wanted to include it .. thanks for the clip -now I want to see it!

    At leat today I don't need to hanker after a place, but the whole of France! Cheers Hilary

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  2. I have not seen The Horseman on the Roof, but will now!!!!

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  3. I remember watching this! I loved this movie :) I don't have many people here in the US to talk to about European movies... Fun post!
    Cheers,

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Tales of colors
    MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...

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