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The Widow of Saint-Pierre

Play trailer Poster for The Widow of Saint-Pierre R Released Apr 19, 2000 1h 52m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
An emotionally-charged romantic epic about an extraordinary woman poised between two extraordinary men at a pivotal moment in time. Set in 1850 on the desolate and intensely beautiful island of Saint-Pierre, the film is a powerful and provocative examination of grand passions and their consequences. A single twist of fate sets the plot in motion, establishing that the twin forces of character and destiny can work together to alter lives in unexpected and even unimaginable ways.
The Widow of Saint-Pierre

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Critics are impressed with The Widow of St. Pierre's intriguing story and beautiful cinematography.

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Critics Reviews

View All (77) Critics Reviews
Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 10, 2003 Full Review Globe and Mail Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Richard Nilsen Arizona Republic A work of art that immerses you in a time and place so completely that it could be a documentary. Apr 20, 2001 Full Review Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film The film’s undeniable emotional core, absurdist undertones, resolute performances, as well as the beauty of the cinematography all make The Widow of Saint-Pierre a memorable film. Rated: 4/5 Jul 18, 2024 Full Review Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine Each of the actors smoulders with quiet strength. Oct 15, 2019 Full Review Jeffrey Overstreet Looking Closer Few films have set up the contrast between the cruel machinery of human justice and the piercing glory of Christian mercy more starkly and profoundly. Rated: A- Jan 15, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (100) audience reviews
S R Saw this for Kusturica and it was good to have Binoche to boot. I had to watch it in Hungarian since I couldn't find anything in English. A moral redemptive tale with some interesting culture and history. RUS Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/17/24 Full Review jordan m My decision to watch all of the Best Foreign Language nominees from the BAFTAs and Golden Globes for my primary years of interest has not produced nearly as many high-quality viewing experiences as I'd expected. These awards apparently skew heavily toward the type of dull, forgettable, human melodrama that any average Hollywood newcomer could've made while they were in film school. I've found it so difficult to be impressed by this and several others (With Friends Like Harry..., The Taste of Others, etc) that it has me worried that I don't know how to appreciate a good film when I see one. I didn't mind the premise with this one and the acting was fine; the problem was how thoroughly futile all of Madame La's efforts seemed (and ultimately were), particularly her teaching the man to read instead of doing anything to appeal his sentence. Auteuil's defiance of the governor and his other superiors came off as nothing more than irresponsible posturing and the townspeople having no qualms about letting a death-row murderer do manual labor for them didn't seem particularly believable. I'll not likely forget having watched this because of its mildly unique premise but I can't say I'm glad to have sat through it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I can’t understand all the great reviews gushing about this film’s passion. This felt like listening to a child retell a story, where they forget to give you the context or set the scene, and one-dimensional characters make dramatic decisions and actions without precedent. The town’s instant forgiveness and sudden, unanimous affection for their neighbor’s murderer was just one example of the absurdity. The concept of a convicted murderer redeeming himself, only to be executed, is not a bad one. But this film was about as clumsy as the faulty guillotine (the “widow”) of Saint Pierre. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/22/20 Full Review Audience Member Boring but the scenery of Newfoundland is really great. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member started becoming uninteresting very quickly...not my cup of tea.. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member A quiet film that stays intense to the very end -- not at all what I expected. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Widow of Saint-Pierre

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Cast & Crew

The Widow of Saint-Pierre

The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - A Rebel The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - A Rebel 2:04 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - I Demand an Apology The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - I Demand an Apology 3:07 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Local Hero The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Local Hero 2:29 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - A Man Who Loves His Wife The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - A Man Who Loves His Wife 2:10 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Run Away! The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Run Away! 3:22 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Mind Your Own Business The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - Mind Your Own Business 2:17 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - The Executioner The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - The Executioner 2:43 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - People Change The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - People Change 1:51 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - The Volunteer The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - The Volunteer 2:33 The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - No Executioners Here The Widow of St. Pierre: Official Clip - No Executioners Here 2:07 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis An emotionally-charged romantic epic about an extraordinary woman poised between two extraordinary men at a pivotal moment in time. Set in 1850 on the desolate and intensely beautiful island of Saint-Pierre, the film is a powerful and provocative examination of grand passions and their consequences. A single twist of fate sets the plot in motion, establishing that the twin forces of character and destiny can work together to alter lives in unexpected and even unimaginable ways.
Director
Patrice Leconte
Producer
Frédéric Brillion, Gilles Legrand
Screenwriter
Claude Faraldo
Distributor
Trimark Home Video, Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Epithète Films, France 3 Cinéma, Cinémaginaire Inc., France 2 Cinema
Rating
R (Brief Violence|Scene of Sexuality)
Genre
Romance
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 19, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.2M
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)