''Le Colonel Chabert'' (English title: ''Colonel Chabert'') is a 1994 French

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film directed by

Yves Angelo Yves Angelo (born 22 January 1956) is a French cinematographer, film director and screenwriter. Angelo has won the César Award for Best Cinematography three times: in 1990 for '' Nocturne indien'', in 1992 for '' Tous les matins du monde'', ...

and starring

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 alm ...

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumières Award. Early life Ardant was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Fr ...

and

Fabrice Luchini Fabrice Luchini (; born Robert Luchini; 1 November 1951) is a French stage and film actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Potiche'', ''The Women on the 6th Floor'', and '' In the House''. For his role in the 2015 film '' Courted'' he won th ...

. It is based on the novel '' Le Colonel Chabert'' by

Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...

. Another film adaptation of the novel starring

Raimu Jules Auguste Muraire (18 December 1883 – 20 September 1946), whose stage name was Raimu, was a French actor. He is most famous for playing César in the 'Marseilles trilogy' ('' Marius'', '' Fanny'' and '' César''). Life and career Born in T ...

had been released 50 years earlier, during the German occupation of France.

Synopsis

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, in February 1817, three years after the fall of the Empire, the lawyer Derville receives a visit from a shabbily dressed man. He claims to be Colonel Chabert, believed dead at the

Battle of Eylau The Battle of Eylau, or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, was a bloody and strategically inconclusive battle on 7 and 8 February 1807 between Napoléon's ''Grande Armée'' and the Imperial Russian Army under the command of Levin August von Bennigs ...

in 1807. He had contributed to the victory by leading a famous cavalry charge against the Russians. The man tells how, waking in a mass grave surrounded by corpses, he survived his wounds. He has returned ten years later and wishes to claim his title, to assert his rights and to live again with his wife, who has greatly increased the fortune she inherited from him. She, during his absence, has married Count Ferraud and had children. She refuses to recognise her first husband. Derville agrees to help the colonel by proposing a settlement in which she will make a large settlement on Chabert if he agrees to divorce her and give up his claims. She refuses the proposed terms and tries to manipulate her ex-husband, asking him to declare his claim is fraudulent. Chabert, disgusted by her deceitfulness and the idea of him renouncing his name, abandons his claim. Colonel Chabert finishes his life penniless and in an asylum, reminiscing on his last battle.

Cast

: Amédé Chabert *

: Maître Derville *

: Countess Ferraud *

André Dussollier André Dussollier (born 17 February 1946) is a French actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as f ...

: Count Ferraud *

Daniel Prévost Daniel Prévost (born 20 October 1939) is a French actor, comedian and writer. Early life Daniel Prévost, alias Denis Forestier, was born to Micheline Chevalier and Mohand Ait Salem. His father was of Berber descent from Algeria (Kabylie re ...

: Boucard *

Olivier Saladin Olivier Saladin is a French actor. He is best known for playing in the cult TV series ''Les Deschiens'' (1993-2002), in which he plays alongside Yolande Moreau Yolande Moreau (born 27 February 1953) is a Belgian comedian, actress, film directo ...

: Huré *

Maxime Leroux Maxime Leroux (26 March 195121 January 2010) was a French actor. Partial filmography *''Les manèges de l'imaginaire'' (1982) - L'homme amnésique *''Effraction'' (1983) - Un gangster *''Le transfuge'' (1985) *''Disorder'' (1986) - Propriétai ...

: Godeschal *

Éric Elmosnino Éric Elmosnino (born 2 May 1964) is a French actor and musician. He is known internationally for portraying Serge Gainsbourg in '' Gainsbourg'', for which he won the César Award for Best Actor. He studied at the National Conservatory of Dramat ...

: Maître Desroches * Guillaume Romain : Simonin * Patrick Bordier : Boutin *

Claude Rich Claude Rich (8 February 1929 – 20 July 2017) was a French stage and screen actor. He began his career in the theater before his film debut in 1955. Personal life He married actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959. They had two daughters, ...

: Chamblin * Jean Cosmos : Costaz *

Jacky Nercessian Jacky Nercessian (or ''Nersessian'' ( hy, Ժաքի Ներսեսյան), born November 16, 1950) is a French actor who is ethnically Armenian. One of his most known roles is Apkar in '' Mayrig'' by Henri Verneuil. Biography Nercessian was born ...

: Delbecq *

Albert Delpy Albert Delpy (born 13 September 1941) is a Vietnamese-born French actor and writer. He has appeared in more than one hundred films since 1970. Personal life He is the father of Julie Delpy Julie Delpy (; born 21 December 1969) is a French-Am ...

: Maître Roguin *

Romane Bohringer Romane Bohringer (; born 14 August 1973) is a French actress, film director, screenwriter, and costume designer. She is the daughter of Richard Bohringer and sister of Lou Bohringer. Her parents named her after Roman Polanski. She won the Cé ...

: Sophie * Valérie Bettencourt : Julie *

Julie Depardieu Julie Marion Depardieu (born 18 June 1973) is a French actress who has appeared in a number of successful films. Early life Born 18 June 1973 in Paris, she is the daughter of Gérard and Élisabeth Depardieu and the sister of the late Guillaume D ...

: A maid

Production

* Direction :

, assisted by Frédéric Blum * Script : Yves Angelo, Jean Cosmos and Véronique Lagrange, from the novel by

* Production :

Jean-Louis Livi Jean-Louis Livi (born 29 January 1941) is a French film producer. Livi was nominated for an Academy Award and two BAFTA Film Awards for producing '' The Father'' (2020). Early life Jean-Louis Livi is the son of Giuliano/Julien Livi (1917–19 ...

and Bernard Marescot * Music :

Régis Pasquier Régis Pasquier (born 12 October 1945) is a French violinist from a family of musicians. His father Pierre Pasquier (1902–1986), a violist and his uncles Jean (1903), a violinist, and Étienne (1905–1997), a cellist, had founded a string trio, ...

* Photography : Bernard Lutic * Editing : Thierry Derocles * Scenery : Bernard Vézat (certain interior scenes filmed at Château de Bizy in

Vernon, Eure Vernon (; nrf, Vernoun) is a commune in the French department of Eure, administrative region of Normandy, northern France. It lies on the banks of the river Seine, about midway between Paris and Rouen. Vernon–Giverny station has rail connect ...

) * Costumes : Franca Squarciapino

Awards and nominations

Cairo Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year sin ...

(Egypt) **Won:

Golden Pyramid The Golden Pyramid Award is the highest prize for best film in the international competition of the Cairo International Film Festival, hosted annually in Cairo, Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transco ...

(Yves Angelo) *

César Awards The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...

(France) **Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Gérard Depardieu) **Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Fabrice Luchini) **Nominated: Best Cinematography (Bernard Lutic) **Nominated: Best Costume Design (Franca Squarciapino) **Nominated: Best First Work (Yves Angelo) **Nominated: Best Production Design (Bernard Vézat)

References

External links

* French war films French historical films 1990s war films 1990s historical films Napoleonic Wars films Films set in 1817 Films based on works by Honoré de Balzac Films based on French novels Films directed by Yves Angelo 1990s French-language films 1990s French films Works based on Colonel Chabert {{1990s-France-film-stub