Ten years after a battle where he was believed to have been killed, a man (Gérard Depardieu) arrives in Paris claiming to be Colonel Chabert; now he wants his rights asserted. Cinematographer Yves Angelo made his directing debut with this handsome period piece. Taking place a few years after the fall of the French Empire, the story focuses on the legal (and emotional) battle between the colonel and his former wife (Fanny Ardant) who’s moved on and married a count. Depardieu is quietly effective and there is much to admire in terms of sets and costumes; the opening scene is horrifyingly memorable.
1994-France. 110 min. Color. Directed by Yves Angelo. Novel: Honoré de Balzac. Cast: Gérard Depardieu (Amédé Chabert), Fabrice Luchini (Derville), Fanny Ardant (Countess Ferraud), André Dussolier, Daniel Prévost, Olivier Saladin.
Trivia: Original title: Le Colonel Chabert. Depardieu’s daughter Julie appears as a maid.
