Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: an adaptation of the swashbuckling novel from the pen of Paul Féval.
Noticed from his first feature film (the sentimental comedy Les Jeux de l’amour, in 1960), Philippe de Broca had his first great success in 1962 with Cartouche, a swashbuckling film headed by Jean-Paul Belmondo. poster. The beginning of a fruitful collaboration that extends to two other films – The Man from Rio and The Tribulations of a Chinese in China – which have become classics of French comedy with great spectacle.
If he sometimes returns to the intimate register of his beginnings, Philippe de Broca continues genre films built around the stars of the time (Tender chicken, We stole the thigh of Jupiter…). After a period of slack, the director returned with ardor to the swashbuckling film genre in 1997 thanks to producer Patrick Godeau.
This suggests that he direct a new adaptation of Paul Féval’s serial novel, “Le Bossu”, previously brought to the screen by André Hunebelle with Jean Marais and Bourvil. It was then Daniel Auteuil’s turn to play the valiant Lagardère knight – a performance that won the Les Lumières Award for Best Actor.
With a budget of 140 million francs – which made it one of the biggest French productions of the time -, The Hunchback was well received by critics (out of 9 César nominations, it won the statuette of the Best costumes) and the public (it totals 1.6 million admissions).
The Hunchback by Philippe de Broca with Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez…
Tonight on Arte at 8:55 p.m.