The Duchess of Langeais
| The Duchess of Langeais | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jacques Rivette |
| Produced by |
Roberto Cicutto Martine Marignac Luigi Musini Ermanno Olmi Maurice Tinchant |
| Screenplay by |
Pascal Bonitzer Christine Laurent Jacques Rivette |
| Based on |
La Duchesse de Langeais by Honoré de Balzac |
| Starring |
Jeanne Balibar Guillaume Depardieu |
| Music by | Pierre Allio |
| Cinematography | William Lubtchansky |
| Edited by | Nicole Lubtchansky |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Les Films du Losange |
Release date |
|
Running time | 137 minutes |
| Country |
France Italy |
| Language | French |
| Budget | €3.9 million[1] |
| Box office | $616,441[1] |
The Duchess of Langeais is a 2007 French-Italian drama film directed by Jacques Rivette. Its original French title is Ne touchez pas la hache ("Don't touch the axe"). It is based on the 1834 novel of the same name by Honoré de Balzac. The film stars Jeanne Balibar and Guillaume Depardieu as lovers in early 1823 Majorca[2] who are involved in a tormented and frustrating relationship.
Cast
- Jeanne Balibar as Antoinette de Langeais
- Guillaume Depardieu as Armand de Montriveau
- Michel Piccoli as Vidame de Pamiers
- Bulle Ogier as Princesse de Blamont-Chauvry
- Anne Cantineau as Clara de Sérizy
- Marc Barbé as Marquis de Ronquerolles
- Thomas Durand as Henri de Marsay
- Mathias Jung as Julien
- Julie Judd as Lisette
- Nicolas Bouchaud as Maxime de Trailles
- Beppe Chierici as Alcalde
- Victoria Zinny as Mother Superior
- Barbet Schroeder as The Duke of Grandlieu
Reception
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 69%, based on 64 reviews, with an average score of 6.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "At times plodding and dialogue heavy, The Duchess of Langeais is nevertheless an intriguing and rewarding dissection of class and gender relations."[3] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 74, based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Film Festival | Golden Bear | Nominated | |
| Gaudí Awards | Best European Film | Nominated | |
| Lumières Awards | Best Actor | Guillaume Depardieu | Nominated |
References
- 1 2 "Ne touchez pas la hache". JP's Box-Office.
- ↑ http://articles.courant.com/keyword/ifc-films
- ↑ "The Duchess of Langeais (Ne Touchez Pas La Hache)(Don't Touch the Axe) (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "The Duchess of Langeais". Metacritic. Retrieved 2 March 2016.