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THE
WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE
Can someone who had done a horrible act turn out to be a good person?
Is there redemption after sin?
-Review
by Darrel Manson
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THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE
(La Veuve de Saint-Pierre
2000)
This page was created on March 27, 2001
This page was last updated on
May 17, 2005
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 Directed
by Patrice Leconte
Writing credits Claude Faraldo
Juliette Binoche .... Pauline (Madame La)
Daniel Auteuil .... Jean (The Captain)
Emir Kusturica .... Ariel Neel Auguste
Michel Duchaussoy .... The Governor
Philippe Magnan .... President Venot
Christian Charmetant .... Supply and Secretariat Officer
Philippe Du Janerand .... Customs Officer
Reynald Bouchard .... Louis Ollivier
Ghyslain Tremblay .... Monsieur Chevassus
Marc B?land .... Soldier Lo?c
Yves Jacques .... The Rear Admiral
Maurice Chevit .... The Governor's Father
Catherine Lascault .... La Malvilain
Dominique Quesnel .... The Proprietor
Anne-Marie Philipe .... The Governor's Wife
Isabelle Spade .... President Venot's Wife
Jean-Paul Rouvray .... The Priest
Michel Daigle .... Father Coupard
Produced
by Fr?d?ric Brillion (producer), Gilles Legrand (producer), Daniel
Louis (co-producer), Denise Robert (co-producer)
Original music by Pascal Est?ve
Cinematography by Eduardo Serra
Film Editing by Jo?lle Hache
Rated
R for a scene of sexuality and brief violence.
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Synopsis
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 A
stirring drama from French director Patrice Leconte, THE WIDOW OF
ST. PIERRE is set in 1850 on the French Canadian island of Saint-Pierre.
A fisherman who committed a brutal murder while in a drunken stupor
has been condemned to die by the guillotine. Because the town has
no guillotine with which to do the deed, an order is put in for one
to be sent over from Paris. During the time that it takes for the
guillotine to arrive, the fisherman becomes a model citizen, and people
begin to reconsider the decision to put him to death. Starring Juliette
Binoche, Emir Kusturica, and Daniel Auteuil, most of the film focuses
on the friendship that forms between the fisherman (Kusturica) and
Binoche as he awaits his death. |
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Can
someone who had done a horrible act turn out to be a good person?
Is there redemption after sin?
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In The Widow of Saint-Pierre (a French and Canadian production) we
see the transformation of Neel Auguste, convicted of murder for taking
part in a drunken prank and condemned to the guillotine. |
Because of the remoteness of the island of Saint-Pierre, there is
a lengthy wait while a guillotine and executioner can be found and
brought to the island. |
During that time, Auguste is shown mercy by Madame La, the wife of
the military commander. And in the light of that mercy, he begins
helping her and others in the community. |
He risks his life to save another and eventually is taken in by the
community as a beloved member. |
 But
he is still under the sentence of death. And even though he is given
opportunity and encouragement to escape, he refuses to do so because
it would bring trouble to the Captain and Madame La. In time, we know
that Auguste?s fate has been sealed by his act of irresponsibility,
but that the sentence will not be carried out on the same man that
did the deed. |
Madame La is the agent of change: in Auguste?s life, in her husband,
and even in the community that opened itself to a convicted and confessed
murderer. |
 Certainly
capital punishment is a widely debated issue in the United States
(although not in much of the rest of the Western world.) This film
helps us to question the appropriateness of capital punishment. Do
people change? |
Neel Auguste certainly did. Do we do anything, as Madame La did to
bring change into their lives or do we simply seek to punish them
and treat them cruelly? |
What are we to do with those who are not the same person who committed
the crime? |
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long ago, PBS?s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/)
carried a story on Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Williams is the surviving
co-founder of the Crips. He is on death row in California, having
been convicted of murder. And he has been nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize for his work in preventing children and teens from getting
involved with gangs. (For more info on Tookie Williams, see http://www.tookie.com).
In the story, there were those who told of how much the man has changed
and how important he has been in the lives of many. There were others
who, because of the severity of Williams? crimes, found the nomination
abhorrent and could see him only as a violent, harmful animal. In
many ways, Tookie Williams is a present day version of Neel Auguste.
And I think there will always be those, who in spite of their sins
and crimes, find new life and discover ways of service. |
The film forces us to consider what is right. Everyone in the film
is seeking to do what is right. Madame La sees that it right to treat
the condemned man decently. |
The bureaucrats understand that it is right to uphold the law. |
The townspeople want to do right by not doing anything to aid in the
execution. |
The Captain decided to do what is right by not taking part in the
execution, even at great personal cost. |
Auguste, perhaps more than anyone else, strives to do the right thing
with his life -- even to the point of facing the gallows. |
 As
our society looks at the issue of capital punishment, are there blanket
statements about what?s right? And what will we do when we find people
who may deserve to die for what they did, but may deserve to live
for what they have become? |
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PHOTO
GALLERY
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PARDON
OR PUNISHMENT?
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001
From: Kim
As
with Dead Man Walking, this movie raises yet again the important
social/political issue of capitol punishment. As a Christian, I
believe absolutely that people can change - that they can take responsibility
for their lives, have a true change of heart, and become a new person.
However, does a complete change of heart and mind warrant a pardon?
Or must the law be satisfied when death is the law? That is the
angst of Dead Man Walking, and that is the angst of The Widow of
Saint Pierre.
The
difference between this movie and Dead Man Walking is that God plays
no obvious role in Neel's change. However, Madame La is most definately
a Christ figure in that she extends grace and trust to Neel, and
sees potential in him that he does not. This transforms him, and
transforms the hearts of an entire community. The community of Saint
Pierre follows her lead, and decides to give him another chance.
They aren't dissipointed. In this way, God is most definately part
of the change because love is who He is. As to whether Madame La
had a relationship God, we aren't told.
That
this story is based on true events is encouraging. Love, acceptance
and grace really do change lives. I don't know whether Madame La
was a shining portrait of discretion, but she certainly was a shining
portrait of grace.
~Kim
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