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From: dyer@wivax.UUCP (Stephen Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: The Return of Martin Guerre (non-spoiler)
Message-ID: <18418@wivax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jun-83 01:03:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: wivax.18418
Posted: Sun Jun 26 01:03:48 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jun-83 07:14:47 EDT
Sender: dyer@wivax.UUCP
Organization: Wang Institute, Tyngsboro, Ma.
Lines: 17

If you're tired of mindless summer entertainment and/or global thermonuclear
war, make sure you see this new French film.  I would call it an almost
perfect movie.

"Martin Guerre" is set in 16th century France: a sullen young man, recently
married, suddenly disappears from his village, deserting his family and wife.
Nine years later he returns, and the story unfolds...

This movie is enjoyable on so many levels: it's a great courtroom drama,
it's an absolutely convincing portrayal of dirty, gritty peasant life,
it's an investigation into the nature of belief and persuasion, and it's
a story of love, justice, and recompense.  I left the theater drained, but
satisfied--it's a compleat movie.

The acting is uniformly good; the only "star" is Gerard Depardieu, who
plays the central character.  The cinematography is fantastic: the entire
film looks like a Breughel scene brought to life.