Andre Antoine liked to shoot screen adaptations of popular French novels, preferably about country life. His movies are always beautifully photographed with a love of country life that borders on idolatry.
A major weakness of his movies -- and this one in particular -- is that he seemed to so love the works he based his movies on that he hated to cut anything, resulting in aborted subplots, characters who disappear and whose actions seem totally unmotivated.
This flick is based on a Sandeau novel that is Dickensian in scope and characters, with elements that suggest A TALE OF TWO CITIES and BLEAK HOUSE, But Antoine is so intent on showing us the setup that he spends an entire reel on a Highlights of History lesson. Then the remainder of the movie is actuated by characters for no clear reason whatsoever: the lawyer who wants Stamply to throw out the Marquis, then advises the Marquis to marry his daughter to Stamply.... why? Stamply, who believes the lawyer when he says one thing and then Hélène when she tells him otherwise; Baronne de Vaubert, who sends her son to Paris for no reason other than to get him out of the way while Stamply woos his fiancée, then suddenly orders him back; the Marquis who will do anything to keep his estate, and then suddenly won't...
Well, it just goes on and on. It makes sense in the novel, but not here. Avoid this one.
A major weakness of his movies -- and this one in particular -- is that he seemed to so love the works he based his movies on that he hated to cut anything, resulting in aborted subplots, characters who disappear and whose actions seem totally unmotivated.
This flick is based on a Sandeau novel that is Dickensian in scope and characters, with elements that suggest A TALE OF TWO CITIES and BLEAK HOUSE, But Antoine is so intent on showing us the setup that he spends an entire reel on a Highlights of History lesson. Then the remainder of the movie is actuated by characters for no clear reason whatsoever: the lawyer who wants Stamply to throw out the Marquis, then advises the Marquis to marry his daughter to Stamply.... why? Stamply, who believes the lawyer when he says one thing and then Hélène when she tells him otherwise; Baronne de Vaubert, who sends her son to Paris for no reason other than to get him out of the way while Stamply woos his fiancée, then suddenly orders him back; the Marquis who will do anything to keep his estate, and then suddenly won't...
Well, it just goes on and on. It makes sense in the novel, but not here. Avoid this one.
