7 thoughts on “TBT: The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)

  1. My Eng101 professor made us watch that and Sommersby for compare and contrast essays. It seemed much more earthy than American or British depictions of ye olden days. The story was quite engrossing, especially knowing it was based on a genuine court case. I’d agree with questioning the wrap front and daisy print. I do vaguely remember thinking that the people looked authentically like farmers, sweaty, dirty. Because GD is not someone I want to revisit on film, I don’t think I will watch this again, but I do remember thinking that this and the other assigned French films seemed more naturalistic than their American counterparts. Especially Richard Gere needing a noble sacrificial Hollywood star death.

  2. I love this film. Gerard Depardieu is such a superb actor. In the court room when he looks at her with an imperceptible nod of his head just sends me. Thank you for reviewing the costumes. Very interesting!

  3. “OR is that black piece a partlet worn over the gown?”

    I think so! the clue seems to be the dress hook at the bottom to stop it flapping about. And you couldn’t have a V-neck that went right to the waist at the back or the shoulders would keep falling down. Partlet makes much more sense – I’m sure there are pointy partlets somewhere else…

  4. You asked for comments about the lace on the shoulders of her red dress. That is the dreaded Battenberg lace! It’s easier to identify from the thumbnail, which shows leaf motifs as well as the spirals. I learned to make Battenberg at a night class over thirty years ago (I guess it was fashionable at the time?). You start with arranging specially-woven tape in patterns, then you link them with thread using various techniques. We learned a kind of looping zigzag link as well as the “spiderweb” you can see here. I believe the tape is woven on the bias to help it stay flat in curved motifs.
    So it’s not historically accurate for the sixteenth century. The Leiden Textile Research Centre website says that Battenberg is a type of Renaissance tape lace, but that doesn’t mean it dates back to the Renaissance. The name “refers to the rediscovery of antique Italian forms in the nineteenth century”. Antique inspirations or not, this piece’s woven tape and coarse thread are way too modern.
    But I imagine that the designer was going for something fancy but also a little rustic, and it does kind of give that feel. I wonder if an authentic style lace might have been rejected as looking too intricate and upper-class?

  5. I love this film, and read the book soon after. I saw it when it was released. It’s a great example of a situation where the truth does nobody any good; it’s very tragic. Bertrande is left with a husband who hates her and will make her life absolutely miserable. The score is absolutely gorgeous, and I wish it were available on CD. And Gerard was a really good actor–if you aren’t sure of that, please see Jean de Florette and Camille Claudel. I assume he’s done a million films because some people agree, but I haven’t seen anything of his in many years.

  6. I’m from the area where the story took place. My mother who was a history teacher, loved the movie but was angry because of the bamboo chinese hat worn by Nathalie Baye in one scene.

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