Balzac: A Life of Passion

Starring:GÃ©rard Depardieu, Jeanne Moreau, Fanny Ardant, Virna Lisi, Katja Riemann, Gert Voss, Katja Studt, Marianne Denicourt, Sergio Rubini, Gottfried John, FranÃ§ois Marthouret, Pascal Vannson, Claude Rich, HervÃ© Briaux, Didier Lesour, Sunnyi Melles, Enguerran Demeulenaere, CÃ©dric Chevalme, Jean Davy, Franck Manzoni
Director: JosÃ©e Dayan
Studio: Fox Lorber
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Lovers of 19th-century French literature and contemporary French cinema will probably get the most out of this 210-minute march through the sensual life of Honoré de Balzac. Those not familiar with the work of this spectacularly prolific writer might be disappointed, since this biopic only touches on the great works in a cursory way. Several times throughout the narrative, the great author hears a few sentences, gets a faraway look in his eyes, and says, "You know, that would make a great story..." before dashing offscreen to his study, presumably to deliver yet another masterpiece. This French-made small-screen production is dominated by the charismatic presence of Gerard Depardieu, who taxes his skills to seem as spectacularly fat and physically unattractive as the legendary writer and lover of women. Practically all the actual lovemaking takes place offscreen; onscreen, impassioned oration is the order of the day. Depardieu is almost matched monologue for monologue by an even greater French star, Jeanne Moreau, who plays his brooding, eternally unsatisfied mother with an unchanging icy grandeur. Ridicule's Fanny Ardant shows a far greater development of character as Countess Eve Hanska, the indecisive Russian noblewoman who steals Balzac's heart and inspires his greatest work--while footing the bill for the excesses of his grandiose lifestyle. --Grant Balfour

Customer Reviews:

For the wont of a Mother's love;how one's life is affected.......2007-03-08

Can a three hour miniseries do justice to one of the most prolific French authors ever? No, but this one does sweep through Balzac's life and hits the high points enough to make one want to read or know more.If there is one central theme to this entire series it is this:the little boy in Balzac NEVER got over the simple fact that his Mother never loved him.Everything he did,touched,wrote was colored by his cold abandonment of his Mother.With that in mind,watch this sweeping biopic masterfully executed by the likes of Gerard Depardieu,Jeanne Moreau and Fanny Ardent and be transported into a very accurate portrayal of the times that the likes of Balzac,Hugo,Sand and Sue lived and wrote.EXCELLENT COMPANION FILMS would be COLONEL CHABERT and COUSIN BETTE (both adapted from Balzac) and LES MISERABLES (by Victor Hugo) and IMPROMPTU (about Georges Sand and Chopin) to help fill in the spaces in that period of history.
DO NOT PURCHASE THE ENGLISH DUBBED VERSION!!!! Stick to the original.It is VERY accessible and readable on VHS or DVD.

One of the best French movies made.......2004-05-05

When I first saw the movie I was hooked on the spot.The cast and the acting was good along with the sets and camerawork.Jeanne Moreau and Gerard Depardieu are a perfect match as mother and son in the film.But I wanted to see more of Jeanne Moreau in the film and want to see more highs and lows in the mother-son relationship.The scene which nearly made me cry was Moreau's character at the door asking for her son's forgiveness.Give Jeanne Moreau a good script and she will give you your money's work.

BALZAC-DEPARDIEU.......2002-08-25

This tv serie is one of three DEPARDIEU played in .It is not easy to deal with such a towering figure like BALZAC.Although it was a valiant try to summarize some highlights of his life,the serie only partially succeeds to interest viewers.My favorite segment is the one with the RUSSIAN comptess who falls in love with HONORÉ.It really shows the importance that correspondance had in that century,especially when you deal with a writer,it really becomes essential.Like many great writers,BALZAC's greatness is not his personnal life but is all contained in his novels.The legendary aspects of BALZAC are there(LA CANNE AU POMMEAU D'OR,SA FAMEUSE CAFETIERE WHO KEPT HIM AWAKE DURING THE WEE HOURS etc.)If you want to buy one serie among the three,buy LES MISÉRABLES, in which DÉPARDIEU is VALJEAN and MALKOVICH JAVERT.Overall,it is the best of the three.

THE PASSION'S OFF SCREEN.......2002-01-03

Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) is the towering giant of French literature and the founder of the contemporary realistic novel in which social pressures and cultural themes are examined as the molding forces on the raw human personalities that inhabit these environments.

"BALZAC: A LIFE OF PASSION" attempts to reveal the inner life of the indulgent and prolific man who created over 2,000 literary characters. Depardieu, looking bigger than ever, is certainly a perfect embodied of the bloated physical persona of Balzac. And is even a match for the well-known sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

What's missing are the things that triggered the great writer's stories. A top notch international cast, including Jeanne Moreau as Balzac's domineering mother, and Fanny Ardent as married Russian noblewoman Eva Hanska, the love of his love, contribute a lot to making this three hour French TV biopic an engaging diversion. Great onscreen impassioned speeches almost make-up for the off-screen, allegedly passionate, writing and lovemaking. The matted widescreen disc has filmographies and weblinks.

Good quality production.......2001-11-24

This is a good sturdy film about Balzac, with great cast, although one gets a little tired of Gerard being in every French production. Don't they have other actors? But this is beside the point, and in this movie he's done quite well. Jeanne Moreau is superb as his mother, and Ardant also gives a very satisfying performance. Overall, it's a good traditional production, in the realism style, and for those enjoying films of this kind it will be a pleasure to watch. But don't expect any novelty in it, and that's why I gave it 3 stars - I would want to see something more unusual or witty, maybe not such a traditional approach, something in style of the statue of Balzac by August Rodin.

Average customer rating:

Balzac: A Life of Passion [Region 2]
Starring: Gérard Depardieu , Jeanne Moreau , Fanny Ardant , Virna Lisi , and Katja Riemann
Director: Josée Dayan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005NP21

Average customer rating:

Balzac: A Life of Passion [Region 2]
Starring: Gérard Depardieu , Jeanne Moreau , Fanny Ardant , Virna Lisi , and Katja Riemann
Director: Josée Dayan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYAG

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