Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

didi-5 This definitive version of the story of Martin Guerre (remade in English with Richard Gere and Jodie Foster as 'Sommersby'; and musicalised in a misguided version by Boublil and Schoenberg) is amongst French actor Gérard Depardieu's greatest roles. As the bluff, romantic, sensitive soldier who returns to the village after years away (or does he?) he manages to provoke all sorts of reactions from his other on-screen characters as well as the film's audience.As Bernadette de Rols, the wife seeking love and companionship, Nathalie Baye is superb; while a large and talented cast give flesh to the remaining characters. I defy anyone to see this adaptation and not be moved by it; try and see in the cinema, where it undoubtedly has more power than on a small screen; and avoid the version dubbed into English. 'Le Retour de Martin Guerre' need to survive with its language and poetry intact.

cknudsen This isn't a comment on the actual quality of the movie itself, but rather a response to the number of postings which have suggested this movie is not an original concept.I have some shocking news for you, but there really was a Martin Guerre. His court case in the mid-16th century is well documented in primary sources and this movie attempts to retell this story.In 1983, historian Natalie Zemon Davis, who incidentally was originally involved with the film as an historical consultant, wrote a well received micro-history on the court case and it's outcome. (The Return of Martin Guerre - published by Harvard University Press, 1983)This case was thought of as unusual even during the 16th century. So much so, that it became part of French folklore. Earlier Hollywood movies likely tapped into this folklore, when they penned similar stories.So this film, rather than simply being another in a long line of similar movies, is the first to tackle the "original story". That being said, the movie is not perfect and strays from the facts a great deal. Natalie Zemon Davis, herself, states in her introduction to her book that she was troubled by the film's creative license with history.Nevertheless, I recommend anyone to see this film yourself and make up your own mind. Better yet, read the book!

dbdumonteil A man suffering from amnesia coming back from war to be confronted with a wife and child...Well we've seen this before and long ago...To be precise in 1938 ,when Curtis Bernardt -who continued his career in America afterward- directed his "carrefour" starring the excellent Charles Vanel and Jules Berry.Here the director -very academic- substituted the Middle Ages for WW1 and presto!an original screenplay! Actually ,and even the scenarists will never confess it it's "carrefour" remade as "Martin Guerre" remade as "Sommersby" .Best part comes from Nathalie Baye,who portrays a woman who could belong to the Middle Ages as well as to our own era .Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu would have outstripped Depardieu, had the script given him the chance to shine.Since I posted my comments,an user wrote that both "carrefour" and "Martin Guerre" came from an incident from the sixteenth century.Perhaps so ,but in my native France,nobody said a single word about that."Carrefour" was based on a John Kafka novel (not to be mistaken for THE Kafka),and as for "Martin", famous scenarist Carrière -who wrote for Luis Bunuel - and director Vigne took all the credits.Jean Tulard,the most erudite historian of the French cinema does not hint at the American novel of Janet Lewis in his "dictionnaire des films".I must add that in France "MG" is not looked upon as the great film it is in America.It's actually a return to the swashbuckler genre that was thriving in the 1955-1965 years in France,a bit more realist perhaps ,to gain the highbrows audience ,but not necessarily better.The real writer was actually Jean de Coras ,conseiller au parlement de Toulouse,whom you can see in the film (Roger Planchon) and who reported the story.

BigFlax I mean, I know there are, but come on.Martin and Bertrande got married. Martin was not a very good husband. They finally had a child. Martin left. Many years later, he came back. Or did he?The premise behind "Le Retour de Martin Guerre" ("The Return of Martin Guerre," obviously) is that someone has returned after many years saying he is Martin and that he has been at war. But is it Martin or Arnaud du Tihl? Bertrande says it's Martin. Martin's uncle says it's Arnaud. Whoever it is seems to know an awful lot about Martin's life, but on the other hand, his feet are a couple sizes too small.Depardieu (as the returned Martin... or is he?), Nathalie Baye as Bertrande, and Roger Planchon as Jean de Coras, the chief investigator into the matter, all give fine performances, and the matter of who Depardieu really is is in doubt right up until the last, a good sign. It's ironic that a 1500s period piece ends up turning into a whodunit courtroom drama, but it works well. The final ending is a bit of a letdown, but it's what had to happen, so it doesn't take too much away from the picture. (A-)