Queen Margot [20th Anniversary Director's Cut] [Blu-ray]

Director: Patrice Chéreau Patrice Chéreau

Overview

The historical novel by Alexandre Dumas was adapted for the screen with this lavish French epic, winner of 5 C?sars and a pair of awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Isabelle Adjani stars as Marguerite de Valois, better known as Margot, daughter of scheming Catholic power player Catherine de Medici (Virna Lisi). Margot is an heiress to the throne during the late 16th century reign of the neurotic, hypochondriac King Charles IX (Jean-Hugues Anglade), a time when Protestants and Catholics are vying for political control of France. Catherine decides to make an overture of good will by offering up Margot in marriage to prominent Protestant Huguenot Henri of Navarre (Daniel Auteuil), although she also schemes to bring about the notorious St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, when tens of thousands of Protestants are slaughtered. The marriage goes forward but Margot doesn't love Henri and takes a lover, the soldier La Mole (Vincent Perez), also a Protestant from a well-to-do family. Murders by poisoning follow, as court intrigues multiply and Catherine's villainous plotting to place her son Anjou (Pascal Greggory) on the throne threatens the lives of La Mole, Margot and Henri. The American release version was cut to 145 minutes.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/26/2014
UPC:	0741952776291
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	NR
Source:	Cohen Media Group
Language:	English
Time:	2:39:00
Sales rank:	16,954

Special Features

Feature-length commentary by Director Emeritus of the New York film festival Richard Peña; 2014 Re-release trailer; Collectible booklet

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Isabelle Adjani	Margot
Daniel Auteuil	Henri de Navarre
Jean-Hugues Anglade	Charles IX
Vincent Perez	La Mole
Pascal Greggory	Duc d'Anjou
Julian Rassam	Duc d'Anglencon,Alençon
Virna Lisi	Catherine de Médicis
Otto Tausig	Mendes
Thomas Kretschmann	Nancay
Jean-Claude Brialy	Coligny
Dominique Blanc	Henriette de Nevers
Emmanuel Salinger	Du Bartas
Claudio Amendola	Coconnas
Asia Argento	Charlotte de Sauve
Bruno Todeschini	Armagnac
Albano Guaetta	Orthon
Michele Marquais	Nurse,la nourrice
Ulrich Wildgruber	Rene
Dorte Lyssewsky	Marie Touchet
Tolsty	Hangman
Johan Leysen	Maurevel
Jean-Marc Stehel	Innkeeper
Philippe Duclos	Telligny
Marc Citti	Crussol
Bernard Verley	Cardinal
Alexis Nitzer	1st Advisor
Barbet Schroeder	2nd Adviser
Laure Marsac	Antoinette
Carlos Lopez	Actor
Melanie Vaudine	1st Escadron Volant
Charles Nelson	Actor,Commis Rene
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi	2nd Escardon Volant
Marina Golovine	Lady in Waiting
Christophe Bernard	Charles IX's Bodyguard
Richard Bohringer	Voice of Coconnas [uncredited]
Roman Massine	Charles IX's Bodyguard
Philippe Laudenbach	Pretre Reforme
Bernard Nissile	Protestant
Nicolas Vaude	Protestant
Laurent Arnal	Protestant
Daniel Breton	Thief
Carlos López	Garde Nancay
Gregoire Colin	Jeune Egorge
Julie-Anne Rauth	Fille Cuisine Egorge
Cecile Caillaud	Henriette's Servant
Jean Douchet	Eveque
Marian Blicharz	Polish Ambassador
Miguel Bosé	le duc de Guise
Zygmunt Kargol	Polish Ambassador
Erwan Dujardin	Page
Jean-Philippe Écoffey	Condé
Gérard Berlioz	Actor
Goran Bregovic	Composer
Dörte Lyssewski	Marie Touchet
Jean-Marc Stehlé	l'aubergiste
Goran Bregovi¿	Composer

Technical Credits

Daniele Thompson

Patrice Chéreau

Alexandre Dumas

Daniele Thompson	Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Patrice Chéreau	Screenwriter,Director
Claude Berri	Producer
Margot Capelier	Casting
Georges Demetrau	Special Effects
Pierre Grunstein	Executive Producer,Producer
Carsten Meyer-Grohbrügge	Producer
Paulo Trancoso	Producer
Alan Church	Special Effects
Olivier Burgaud	Sound Effects
Pascal Chauvin	Sound Effects
Alexandre Dumas	Screenwriter
Sylvie Gadmer	Sound Effects
Gérard Hardy	Sound Effects
Michel Filippi	Sound Effects
Frederic Moreau	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

A historical drama of epic proportions, the 1994 version of La Reine Margot is an authentic balance between period sumptuousness and realistic grittiness, held together by fine performances. Writer-director Patrice Chéreau doesn't flinch in his depiction of the political machinations at play in late 16th century France and the butchery that occurred as a result. Though the labyrinthine plot escapes the director's control at times, the film has a flamboyance which keeps it compelling. At the center of this storm of a movie is Isabelle Adjani, whose maidenly, distant, yet passionate manner is perfectly suited to a period drama. Virna Lisi received a good deal of critical attention for her role as the villainous Catherine de Medici. The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre also served as the background for one of D.W. Griffith's segments of Intolerance (1916) and was the focus of 1954's La Reine Margot.