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The Horseman On The Roof [DVD]
enlarge	Studio: Metrodome Distribution Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £7.74 as of 23/11/2009 15:49 GMT details You Save: £12.25 (61%) New (14) from £7.74 Seller: em-g Rating: 6 reviews Sales Rank: 29416 Format: PAL Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 0 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 130 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5028836030928 ASIN: B000E1YVJG Release Date: March 27, 2006 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 6 1 2 Next » A superb old-fashioned romantic adventure! July 7, 2006 Trevor Willsmer (London, England) 24 out of 25 found this review helpful The Horseman on the Roof has finally emerged on DVD in an uncut widescreen version with English subtitles in the UK (the Region 1 disc is typically MiramAxed by more than a quarter of an hour), and it's well worth the wait. br / br /Jean-Paul Rappeneau's grand romantic adventure starts off with Italian exile Olivier Martinez on the run from Austrian assassins until an outbreak of cholera outruns them both, turning the beautiful countryside into a treacherous series of army roadblocks, deadly quarantine areas and a feeding ground for flocks of crows. It's an episodic affair - leading lady Juliette Binoche isn't even introduced until a third into the film - but its shot through with such lavish old-fashioned romanticism that that's not really a problem. Indeed, not even the lack of a proper ending can do much damage. br / br /As with Cyrano De Bergerac, Rappeneau shows a real understanding of movement and color, with a wonderful use of both the landscape of a semi-mythical Provence and the full width of the Scope screen. En route there are a slew of nice little cameos (Gerard Depardieu, Jean Yanne, Isabelle Carre) and memorable moments, adding up to a satisfyingly old fashioned epic that stands up well to repeated viewings (this is the fourth time I've seen it). The UK DVD also comes with a particularly good 28-minute interview with Rappeneau. Exilarating November 7, 2008 Cees (sweden) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful The Horseman on the Roof (1995) is Jean-Paul Rappeneau's free adaptation of Jean Giono's novel "Le hussard sur le toit", written between 1945 and 1950 and published in 1951. Adapted for the first time by Cyrano of Bergerac's director (1990), The Horseman on the Roof is a romantic and historical drama which shares the same lyrical and tumultuous atmosphere with Cyrano. It is the story of Angelo Pardi, a young horseman officer from an aristocratic Italian family, exiled from his homeland in search for another compatriot, Maggionari to warn him of danger. Pardi's country is struggling with the aftermath of Napoleon's fall (1832), when Austria is trying to take control of Italy. He escaped to southern France, only to discover that an acute cholera epidemic ravaged the country. He then found himself fighting against all sorts of enemies: the cholera, the Austrian mercenaries sent after him, the frightened and violent villagers and the army combing the countryside, seeking those who try to escape quarantine imposed by the government. Angelo's escape will finally lead him to a seemingly deserted house in Manosque, where he will meet Pauline de ThÃ©us (mysterious and determined Juliette Binoche), the young and beautiful wife of a much older marquis (Paul Freeman in an impressive guest appearance). The two decide to team up and travel the French countryside, each hoping to achieve a personal goal (Pauline to find her old husband, Angelo to return to Italy with money for the Carbonari's political struggle). Like in Rappeneau's Cyrano of Bergerac, The Horseman on the Roof is not short of thrilling situations, all experienced - and filmed too - with a sense of panache that alone would make this movie worthy of our attention. To some extent, that I wondered who/what is the real hero in this passionate story: Angelo and Pauline? The cholera epidemic and everything it unleashes? The stunningly beautiful Provence and RhÃ'ne-Alpes landscapes? Or perhaps, it is more Giono and Rappeneau's way of using Provence as a living character; it too full of passions, violence, dangerous and generous in the same manner, bathed in a golden light that seems to act as a developer for people's truest nature. Whatever the answer to these legitimate questions, The Horseman on the Roof is worth the ten Cesar Awards (two won for best cinematography and best sound) it was nominated for. Besides the beautiful, romantic swashbuckling and epic costume adventure that it is, The Horseman on the Roof succeeded in what many other similar movies of the genre failed, for it has such a haunting atmosphere, you will probably (if you are a daydreamer like me) find yourself prolonging the adventure in both your head and your heart. Why is that? Well, it could be because of the soundtrack which is a pure gem (by Jean-Claude Petit), or it could be because of the main characters who are true and deep enough, they became as close to you as any other real person might, or finally because the story appeals to the frustrated adventurer/adventuress in you, the one who is hiding behind a respectable-day-job-facade! To summarize: The Horseman on the Roof is an expensive movie (in fact, the French biggest budget production ever), it was shot in more than 60 different locations in Provence, required about 100 movie sets, 1000 extras, it has action, romance, thrills and is supported by an excellent screenplay and an attention to production details that make for a glorious and exciting movie experience. Phew! Anything else? The movie is presented in two different versions: a French one and the UK one (with a 28 minute interview with Jean-Paul Rappeneau), which is not region encoded. It is presented anamorphically in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The original audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 surround and it is fine, as are the UK uncut version with English (non-removable though) subtitles and the beautiful case picture. Final word? Exhilarating! medieval europe caught between revolution love and cholera February 20, 2009 Dr. U. L. Khawaja (hornchurch ,london) olivier martinez meets binoche in time of love and cholera= br / a renegade italian aristocrat is being pursued across france by austrian assassins but the focal point is the environment which is devastated by a cholera epidemic . br /the narrow escapes from the assassins and the natural disaster are all a metaphor for the will to survive against all odds which nature has instilled in human spirit. br /the random affliction of the cholera epidemic with sudden fatality and the towns lying vacant and a revolution in the background in europe add to the passion of the fascinating drama by RAPPENEAU -and the ultimate escape where the rebel lives on the roofs of a hostile town is one of the best moments in cinema with ravishing atmosphere created with nature and mob violence . br /rappenau has used both nature and the man made elements to enhance a very psychic moment and it comes complete when he is doted upon first by a feline cat and latter a french countess. the meeting of the renegade and a french countess and their subsequent perilous adventure across france is amazing to watch . br /a great period movie with immaculate details and surreal characters which is truly dazzling both cinematically and in historical detail . br /the devastated countryside and the burning corpses picked by buzzards are horrid yet it is also mysteriously satisfying as a bizarre love story between two unlikely and very peculiar couple thrown together by fatalistic design . br /from the first frame where he flees for his life to the last obscure finale it is simply stunning with its visual charms and its psychic intellect , br / br / br / Un hussard sur le toit (Horseman on the roof) dvd April 15, 2009 marymary This film is so good we had to buy it twice. Once on video and now on dvd. It is beautifully shot on location in Provence and weaves real life political action with romance and a cholera epidemic (also historically true). What more could you want! This is a period costume drama of the very highest order. It would probably help to know a bit about the background but basically it is a sort of 19th century chase and spy movie with a love interest. But this undersells it and really the best thing to do is watch it - it is truly a lovely film. Love in the time of Cholera May 8, 2006 duirsgrove 13 out of 14 found this review helpful This film has taken a while to come out on dvd (1995 infact) yet actually I wouldn't say you could tell the date by looking at it. The story, adapted from the book by Jean Giono revolves around an exciled Italian soldier who's fled to Provence in the early 1800s only to be caught up in the Cholera epidemic and to be hounded by Austrian police. For the first hour or so dialogue and character are verging on the vague as like the book, the love interest doesn't much appear until quite far in and then only sporadically. The first part also focuses a great deal on the images of the "provence" created by director Rappenau (famous for Cyrano) although geographically covering a much wider area in reality. Peasants, fighting, witchunts and long trecking stretches ensue. Akin to The Birds, a large band of unfriendly menacing crows (using the first digital effects in a French film at that time) steal the show and both attack the departed and those still alive indiscriminately. After that when the ethereal beauty of Juliette Binoche becomes a main character alongside Martinez, things do get a fair bit deeper and clearer. Adventures and feelings progress into somewhat a Tristan Isolde type triangle - medieval chivalry etc....Cholera being the evil dragon in wait. br / br /Nature was a main intentional theme in the film - nature cycles - death constant and unavoidable despite beauteous "Provence" with nature renewing itself in the aftermath. There's mountians, corn fields, rivers, farms that you could stare at quite happily on their own. Peace vs the madness of panic spreading throughout the villages, space vs chlostrophobia. Animals feature in the farms, the crows and also the companion cat. br / br /Depardieu apparantly wanted to play the lead but eventually was chosen for a cameo of a slightly deranged policeman. Weber also from Cyrano narrates the final scenes and was specifically chosen for this. JB helped in the casting of Martinez a deliberate unknown with limited acting pedigree prior to this. He's also her real life partner. br / br /The book itself was considered for adaptation since the 1950s under various directors including Polanski and leads considered ranged from well known French actors to even Marlon Brando during early plans. br / br /This would appeal to historical romantic fiction viewers but it's not quite as empty as many similar films out there. The main love scenes are very minimal in dialogue and also mostly revolve around the duality of life and death as opposed to merely physical or romantic love. br / Showing reviews 1-5 of 6 1 2 Next »

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