Background
In the same year as the book's release, author Quignard, together with director Alain Corneau, adapted the novel for the film that starred Jean-Pierre Marielle, Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet and Guillaume Depardieu. The film revolves around the late-17th/early-18th-century composer Marin Marais's life as a musician, his mentor Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Sainte-Colombe's daughters. The ageing Marais, played by Gérard Depardieu, narrates the story, while Depardieu's son Guillaume Depardieu plays the young Marais. The haunting sound of his instrument, the viol (viola da gamba), here played by Jordi Savall, is heard throughout the film and plays a major role in setting the mood. Though fictional, the story is based on historical characters, and what little is known about their lives is generally accurately portrayed. The film credits the scenes set in the salon of Louis XV as having been filmed in the Golden Gallery (Galerie dorée) of the Banque de France. Described as a "crossover movie" with the music integrated into the story-line, Derek Malcolm saw Marielle's performance as "matching the music note for note".Synopsis
Aging court composer Marin Marais (Gérard Depardieu) recalls his former master and unequalled viol player, the Jansenism, Jansenist, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. After the death of his wife, Sainte-Colombe buries himself in his music, bringing up his two daughters on his own, teaching them to be musicians, and playing in a Consort of instruments, consort with them for local noble audiences. His reputation reaches the court of Louis XIV and the king sends an envoy, Caignet, to request him to play at court. Sainte-Colombe curtly dismisses the envoy, as well as the Abbé Mathieu. Offended, the King ensures that very few attend concerts by Sainte-Colombe and his daughters. Sainte-Colombe shuts himself away in a cabin in his garden in order to perfect the art of viol playing, and to indulge in visions of his dead wife. Some years later, 17-year-old Marin Marais visits Sainte-Colombe, seeking to learn from the master. After a short time, Sainte-Colombe sees no musical merit in the young man and sends him away, refusing to teach him. Madeleine, the elder daughter, is saddened as she has fallen in love with Marais. She teaches him what her father has taught her and allows him to listen in secret to her father playing. During this time, Marais is hired to be a court musician. Marais and Madeleine begin a relationship. Marais leaves Madeleine; she is pregnant and gives birth to a still-born child. Marais marries another woman, Madeleine's younger sister marries and has five children, life goes on. Later, Madeleine falls gravely ill. Sainte-Colombe calls Marais to his house where the dying Madeleine asks to hear her former lover play a piece he wrote for her: ''La rêveuse'' or ''The Dreaming Girl''. After Marais leaves, Madeleine hangs herself with the ribbons of a pair of shoes, a rejected gift Marais had given her. Years later, the aged Marais returns to learn from his master; Sainte-Colombe recognises finally Marais's musicianship.Cast
* Gérard Depardieu as Marin Marais * Jean-Pierre Marielle as Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe * Anne Brochet as Madeleine * Guillaume Depardieu as Young Marin Marais * Carole Richert as Toinette * Michel Bouquet as Baugin * Jean-Claude Dreyfus as Abbe Mathieu * Yves Gasc as Caignet * Yves Lambrecht as Charbonnières * Jean-Marie Poirier as Monsieur de Bures * Myriam Boyer as Guignotte * Caroline Silhol as (the ghost of) Madame de Sainte-ColombeMusic
As listed in the film's credits, the music heard includes the following: *Sainte Colombe: ''Les pleurs''; ''Gavotte du tendre''; ''Le retour'' *Marin Marais: ''Improvisation sur les Folies d'Espagne''; ''L'arabesque''; ''Le Badinage''; ''La rêveuse'' *Jean-Baptiste Lully: ''Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs'' *François Couperin: ''Troisième leçon de Ténèbres'' *Savall: ''Prélude pour Monsieur Vauquelin''; ''Une jeune fillette'', d’après une mélodie populaire; ''Fantaisie en mi mineur'', d’après un anonyme du XVIIème Apart from Savall, the musicians are Monserrat Figueras and Mari-Cristina Kiehr (sopranos), Christophe Coin and Jérôme Hantaï (viola da gamba), Rolf Lislevand (theorbo) and Pierre Hantaï (harpsichord and organ).Reception
The film grossed $3,089,497 in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom it grossed £793,748 ($1.2 million).Awards and nominations
*César Awards (France) **Won: César Award for Best Actress, Best Actress – Supporting Role (Anne Brochet) **Won: César Award for Best Cinematography, Best Cinematography (Yves Angelo) **Won: César Award for Best Costume Design, Best Costume Design (Corinne Jorry) **Won: César Award for Best Director, Best Director (Alain Corneau) **Won: César Award for Best Film, Best Film **Won: César Award for Best Music, Best Music (Jordi Savall) **Won: César Award for Best Sound, Best Sound (Anne Le Campion, Pierre Gamet, Gérard Lamps and Pierre Verany) **Nominated: César Award for Best Actor, Best Actor – Leading Role (Jean-Pierre Marielle) **Nominated: César Award for Best Editing, Best Editing (Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte) **Nominated: César Award for Best Writing, Best Writing (Alain Corneau and Pascal Quignard) **Nominated: César Award for Most Promising Actor, Most Promising Actor (Guillaume Depardieu) *42nd Berlin International Film Festival (Germany) **Official selection: Golden Bear (Alain Corneau) *Golden Globe Awards (USA) **Nominated: 1993 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Foreign Language Film *Louis Delluc Prize (France) **Won: Best FilmReferences
External links
* * * http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/misc/tlmdm.htm For more details of the film's background {{Authority control French musical drama films French romantic musical films 1990s romantic musical films 1991 romantic drama films 1991 films Films directed by Alain Corneau Films about classical music and musicians Films about composers Films set in the 1670s Films set in the 1700s Films set in France Films based on French novels Films based on historical novels Louis Delluc Prize winners Best Film César Award winners Films whose director won the Best Director César Award 1990s French-language films 1990s French films