Broadcast this Wednesday, December 28, 2022 on Arte at 8:55 p.m., The Hunchback by Philippe de Broca sees Daniel Auteuil and Fabrice Luchini compete in this classic swashbuckling film. The opportunity for Philippe Noiret to once again step into the shoes of a famous historical figure…
To clear one’s honour, take revenge and make morality triumph. This is the philosophy of the swashbuckling films whose The Hunchbackbroadcast this Wednesday, December 28 from 8:55 p.m. on Arte and available on Arte.tv, is one of its leading figures. Published in the form of a novel by Paul Féval in 1857, this literary work has undergone various film adaptations, the most cult of which is certainly that of André Hunebelle with Jean Marais and André Bourvil, released in 1959. In 1997, it was Philippe de Broca’s turn to deliver his version. It notably brings together a prestigious cast carried by Daniel Auteuil, companion of Aude Ambroggi, Fabrice Luchini, Marie Gillain or even Philippe Noiret, darling of Bertrand Tavernier. The feature film is thus nominated in 9 categories Caesar including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. He was finally rewarded with the César for best costume.
The Hunchback : France and swashbuckling cinema
While cinema was in its infancy at the very end of the 19th century, the “cape and sword” genre immediately became a classic in the French cinematographic landscape. Among the founding works, The Assassination of the Duke of Guise was the subject of several adaptations in the early hours of the seventh art from 1897. In 1908, the version by André Calmettes and Charles Le Bargy in 1908 obtained the services of the famous composer of classical symphonies Camille Saint-Saëns for the music of the movie. From then on, in the first quarter of the 20th century, cloak and dagger feature films appeared as grand spectacle works. The historical material of France and its literary abundance, like the Three Musketeers of Alexandre Dumas and the Hunchback by Paul Féval, allow the directors to unveil their fictionalized stories of a prolific period for the kingdom of France: that of the second half of the 17th century until the middle of the 18th century.
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The Hunchback : Philippe Noiret, great subscriber of historical figures
In The Hunchback by Philippe de Broca, released on the big screen in 1997, the keenest observers among you may have noticed the presence of Philippe Noiret as Philippe d’Orléans. And the actor is not at his first attempt at the interpretation of a historical figure. More than 20 years earlier, in 1975, he already played the said Regent in Let the party begin alongside the immense Jean Rochefort and Jean-Pierre Marielle. A historical epic rewarded with four Césars including that of the best director for Bertrand Tavernier.
