The Horseman on the Roof | | Cast : | Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez | | Director : | Jean-Paul Rappeneau | | Studio : | Buena Vista Home Vid | | Format : | Color | | Released Date : | October 06, 1995 | | DVD Released Date : | January 04, 2005 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | A foreign movie, go figure. | Content
 | This is the first movie I have watched with subtitles. I was afraid that I would find them distracting, but the movie was so well done that it didn't register really that I had to "read" the movie. The cinematography was superbly accomplished and the story line was engaging. The only reason why I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that I would have liked to know more about the 2 characters at the end of the story. It is left to our imagination, with a little nudge, as to the outcome of thier relationship. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 02, 2005 | | Summary | Another great film gets MiramAXED | Content
| This would be a 5-star review if only they'd released the uncut version shown everywhere else. The Horseman on the Roof has to be one of the most beautiful looking films I've ever seen, which is odd for a movie about a cholera epidemic.
Set in a beautiful summer in the mid-19th century, it follows Olivier Martinez's Italian in exile as he is chased across France by Austrian agents intent on killing as many Italian rebels as they can only for his pursuers to be outrun by a cholera epidemic that picks off friends and foes. Along the way his path crosses with various victims and survivors - a doctor who teaches him a neat disinfecting trick of setting your hands on fire, a cute governess, Jean Yanne's duplicitous peddler, Gerard Depardieu's paranoid mayor, and most importantly Juliette Binoche, who is determined to find her husband. Naturally they become travelling companions as they try to get through roadblocks and avoid being put into quarantine by the soldiers cordoning off the roads - a virtual death sentence - and eventually nearly become more. The film looks so good in cinemascope and so much of it is terrific than you can just about forgive the fact that the ending is a bit of a washout after everything that's gone before.
A really enjoyable old-fashioned epic, I'd definitely pick this up if it ever turned up on DVD uncut with English subtitles (the Miramax disc is typically cut by 17 minutes thanks to Harvey Scissorhands).
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| Rating | | | Date | May 25, 2005 | | Summary | Riding On Hot Air | Content
| Film set in 1832 during a cholera epidemic in France and political unrest in Austria's Italian provinces. A film with great cinematography supporting a very shallow screenplay devoid of any significant theme or plot.
Olivier Martinez plays Angelo, an Italian Hussard who defects to join an inssurgency. During his escape, he encounters a beautiful countess (Juliette Binoche) who is uncertain as to her husband's fate. Distrought that this woman is determined to ride alone to her destination without an escort, Angelo becomes her protector. Each is tempted to passion with the other but they resist even when the countess is deathly ill and in need of a body to keep her warm. Eventually both reach their desired destinations and go on with their lives as if nothing had happened.
Yaaaaawn! That's about all I have to say for this film. Great cinematography and costumes wasted on a boring story that has nothing to tell. I frankly disagree with Tom Keogh's assessment of Jean-Paul Rappeneau's 'Cyrano' as being 'ornamental but empty' as I seriously question his judgment of this film which is as shallow as can be in terms of plot and theme: I have no idea where he finds the 'vitality and high drama' in this film as there is none to ponder over. It seems instead that his standard of quality for this film is Binoche and Martinez being cute and hitting it off after the film: so what?! Who cares?! I didn't know that steamy relationships between actors after a film was a valid basis for which to rate the film! Personally, I could have cared less if Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were hitting it off behind the scenes of 'Cleopatra' as it was their acting talents that made the film great and not necessarily their lust for each other.
Anyway, the film does have great cinematography and the actors did very well with what they had. In terms of the story however, it's rather shallow and anticlimactic more than anything else. It is conceptually little more than a cheap romantic novela that has almost no real plot or thematic depth other than a titillating romance. A good movie to rent maybe but I wouldn't buy it. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 07, 2005 | | Summary | Great film | Content
| Two gorgeous actors, Olivier MartÃnez and Juliette Binoche, star in this beautifully shot, very romantic film. MartÃnez plays an Italian revolutionary fighter who is fleeing from Austrian spies/assassins. He ends up in Provence, where he encounters a massive cholera epidemic and fearful, bloodthirsty village people. Binoche plays Madame de Théuse, the wife of a nobleman. She looks gorgeous, almost like a French Julia Roberts. She also looks much younger than her same self in "Chocolat". The two actors meet each other at night after MartÃnez has been fleeing the village people for two days. A subtle, very charming romance develops between the two. This film is also a very good historical drama and history lesson. Even though I am a history and geography buff, I did not know about Austria's occupation of northern Italy in the 1930s or about the massive cholera epidemic of 1832. Americans, be glad you live in a country where cholera is very infrequently encountered.
The cinematography of this film is superb, effectively capturing the gorgeous scenery of the South of France. The script is not that good, but the acting sure is.
This film lasts 2 hours and is in French. MartÃnez and Binoche speak the language beautifully. MartÃnez also speaks excellent Italian in the film.
I only saw the inner two-thirds of the movie, having missed the beginning and the end. I caught it very late at night (5:20 AM), almost early dawn, and was not able to finish watching the film. I look forward to getting the DVD of the film.
Highly recommended. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 09, 2005 | | Summary | Adventure-romance at its best! | Content
| This is such a beautiful movie, it leaves me speechless.
The scenery, the light, what a beautiful country the south of France is. It is a love story that takes place in the mind. No bed scene. But I swear, you won't be bored for a second! If you haven't read the novel (which you should do) you might think this to be some kind of Musketeer-Disney stuff. It isn't - not only because it takes place in another century. There is enough adventure, fighting and horseback riding to make this one a movie for both of you to enjoy, you and your girl. But it also gets so much deeper. The actors show you love can stand the test of time. It can even grow through pain. This one gives you strength and hope that things might get better. |
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