The Horseman on the Roof (1995)
"Le hussard sur le toit" (original title)

In a time of war and disease, a young officer gallantly tries to help a young woman find her husband.

Director:

Jean-Paul Rappeneau

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière, Nina Companeez,

Stars:

Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez, Pierre Arditi

4 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Juliette Binoche	...	Pauline de Théus
Olivier Martinez	...	Angelo Pardi
Pierre Arditi	...	Monsieur Peyrolle
François Cluzet	...	The Doctor
Jean Yanne	...	Le Colporteur
Claudio Amendola	...	Maggionari
Isabelle Carré	...	The Tutor
Carlo Cecchi	...	Giuseppe
Christiane Cohendy	...	Madame Peyrolle
Jacques Sereys	...	The old man
Nathalie Krebs	...	Madame Barthelemy
Laura Marinoni	...	Carla
Elisabeth Margoni	...	The farmer's wife
Yolande Moreau	...	Madame Rigoard
Christophe Odent	...	Monsieur Barthelemy

Storyline

In 1832, cholera ravages Provence (South of France). After several misadventures, Angelo, young Italian officer hunted by the Austrian secret police, meets Pauline de Theus, a young lady. After a second accidental meeting, both will start the search of Pauline's husband in a chaotic country.

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Plot Keywords:

provence | police | austrian | cholera | cleansing by fire | 

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Taglines:

Their only chance for survival was each other.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of nudity

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Horseman on the Roof

Filming Locations:

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$1,839,000 (USA) (12 July 1996)

Gross:

$1,877,179 (USA) (19 July 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hachette Première, Canal+, Centre Européen Cinématographique Rhône-Alpes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jean-Paul Rappeneauspent over a year searching for a suitable male lead. Olivier Martinez had to audition several times before he landed the part.

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Quotes

Angelo: Mother, you always wanted me to be more reckless. Today, you would have been proud of me.

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Connections

Referenced in Jersey Girl (2004)

User Reviews

Great old-fashioned entertainment

The Horseman on the Roof has to be one of the most beautiful looking films I've ever seen, which is odd for a movie about a cholera epidemic.

Set in a beautiful summer in the mid-19th century, it follows Olivier Martinez's Italian in exile as he is chased across France by Austrian agents intent on killing as many Italian rebels as they can only for his pursuers to be outrun by a cholera epidemic that picks off friends and foes. Along the way his path crosses with various victims and survivors - a doctor who teaches him a neat disinfecting trick of setting your hands on fire, a cute governess, Jean Yanne's duplicitous peddler, Gerard Depardieu's paranoid mayor, and most importantly Juliette Binoche, who is determined to find her husband. Naturally they become travelling companions as they try to get through roadblocks and avoid being put into quarantine by the soldiers cordoning off the roads

• a virtual death sentence - and eventually nearly become more. The

film looks so good in cinemascope and so much of it is terrific than you can just about forgive the fact that the ending is a bit of a washout after everything that's gone before.

A really enjoyable old-fashioned epic, I'd definitely pick this up if it ever turned up on DVD uncut with English subtitles (the Miramax disc is typically cut by 17 minutes thanks to Harvey Scissorhands).