THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 30, 1994 TAG: 9411300021
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Craig Shapiro
LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
NOT THAT IT counts for a whole lot, but not many actors out there make me want to see a movie just because they're in it.
Harrison Ford and Gene Hackman, most of the time.
Gerard Depardieu, all of the time.
The Frenchman first caught my eye in the early '80s when he played dashing leading men in ``The Last Metro'' and ``The Return of Martin Guerre.'' And while he's matured into a pot-bellied bear, his acting has lost none of its edge, none of its focus. Depardieu doesn't take on a role, he absorbs it.
``Germinal'' (1994, Columbia TriStar), out on video today, is further confirmation. Depardieu plays the patriarch of a coal-mining family in Northern France in the late 19th century. The movie reteams him with Claude Berri, who directed ``Jean de Florette'' (and its sequel, ``Manon of the Spring''), and returns to a theme of social injustice, though on a far broader scale.
Visually stunning, even on video, the film follows the rising tension between the tightknit miners and the tightfisted owners. There are strong supporting performances from Miou-Miou and French pop singer Renaud, but it is Depardieu who commands the screen. In his face you see a lifetime - the loving father, devoted husband and dedicated worker; later, the committed revolutionary willing to make any sacrifice.
In one of many memorable scenes, Depardieu, grimy and exhausted from a day in the pit, cradles his infant son as he feeds him soup. It's a touching moment that says so much, and Berri wisely lets the camera linger.
``Epic'' is probably one of those words tossed around too loosely, but it applies to ``Germinal'' (rated R for themes, nudity, violence, language; French with English subtitles). It's well worth seeking out.
As is any film with Depardieu. But if you'd like to see more of this remarkable actor, and don't mind subtitles, start with these five:
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) - Depardieu brings new life to Edmund Rostand's poet/swordsman. The performance, one of his very finest, is rivaled by the lavish costumes, detailed sets and romantic music. A must-see.
Jean de Florette (1987) - A gentle hunchback (Depardieu) realizes his dream when he buys a farm in a drought-stricken region of France. His land, though, has water, and his countrymen conspire against him. Touching and devastating.
The Last Metro (1980) - Francois Truffaut's drama is set in a theater company owned by a Jew in Nazi-occupied Paris. Depardieu plays the troupe's leading man who is secretly working with the Resistance.
Les Comperes (1983) - Depardieu takes a comic turn as a journalist duped by an ex-lover into finding her wayward son. Joining him is Pierre Richard, who plays a wimpy hypochondriac. Both believe they are the boy's father.
The Return of Martin Guerre (1983) - The sanitized American remake was called ``Sommersby'' and starred Richard Gere as a man who returns from war changed for the better. It's good they changed the name. There's no comparison.
Even the few American trifles he's done were better because of him.
Depardieu made his English-language debut in Peter Wier's ``Green Card'' (1990). It's somewhat predictable - two people marry for convenience, then find love - and has the misfortune of co-starring Andie MacDowell, but it was a hit thanks in no small part to the burly Frenchman.
He showed his flair for physical comedy last year in ``My Father the Dad'' - otherwise a time-waster about a bratty teen trying to impress a boy by passing her unknowing father off as her lover.
COMING ATTRACTIONS: Get out those '95 calendars, got some dates you'll want to circle: ``True Lies'' (Jan. 11), ``Natural Born Killers'' and ``The Mask'' (Jan. 24), ``The Lion King'' (March 3),'' ``Forrest Gump'' (April 28).
TOP TAPES (in Billboard):
Sales: ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,'' ``Jurassic Park,'' ``The Nightmare Before Christmas,'' ``The Flintstones,'' ``The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994''
Rentals: ``Guarding Tess,'' ``The Flintstones,'' ``The Paper,'' ``No Escape,'' ``The Crow'' THE COUCH REPORT
``Getting Even With Dad'' (1994, MGM/UA). He's supposed to be a petty thief coerced into reconciling with his son, but even with his toupee-ponytail combo and tough-guy talk, Ted Danson can't shake Sam Malone. He gets no help from moussed-up Macaulay Culkin, who acts like he'd rather be anywhere else. Let's not go into the grade-school script and laughs by Western Union.
(CAST: Macaulay Culkin, Ted Danson, Glenne Headly. RATED: PG for mild language, mild violence)
``Late Spring'' (1994, New Yorker). The temptation is to look for parallels in Yasujiro Ozu's 1949 film: Does a father who forces his daughter to cut the apron strings say something about America and post-war Japan? Maybe. But this exquisite, eloquent portrait of sacrifice and devotion should be savored for what it is. (Japanese with English subtitles.)
(CAST: Chishu Ryu, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, Jun Osami. UNRATED, but nothing offensive)
``Marianne & Juliane'' (1994, New Yorker). Here, the parallels couldn't be clearer: Two sisters, raised in Germany in the 1950s, rebel against their conservative upbringing. One becomes a feminist journalist, the other a terrorist. If you can stand all the angst, this intense, well-acted, 1981 character study won't let you down. (German with English subtitles.)
(CAST: Jutta Lampe, Barbara Kukowa, Rudiger Vogler. (UNRATED: Themes, brief nudity, language)
``Betty'' (1993, New Yorker). Claude Chabrol doesn't paint a pretty picture, but the dark drama from the New Wave director is an engrossing one - as much for Marie Trintignant's gripping turn as a Parisian housewife undone by her own will as for the way it is constructed. Mysterious and a bit sinister, it will draw you in from the outset. (French with English subtitles.)
(CAST: Marie Trintignant, Stephane Audran. UNRATED: Language, nudity, themes)
``Inner Sanctum 2'' (1994, Columbia TriStar). Videomatic regulars need only look at the cast: Starlets who'll do anything, has-beens who'll take anything. It's your standard erotic-thriller, meaning the plot, involving a rich widow, hubby's ghost and evil in-laws, is besides the point.
(CAST: Tracy Brooks Swope, Jennifer Ciesar, David Warner, Michael Nouri, Sandahl Bergman, Margot Hemingway. RATED: R for language, violence, nudity)
Next Wednesday: ``Maverick,'' ``Endless Summer II,'' ``Widow's Peak,'' ``Fortunes of War,'' ``Getting In,'' ``Lady in Waiting''
Dec. 14: ``Blown Away,'' ``Baby's Day Out,'' ``Belle Epoque,'' ``I Love Trouble,'' ``Blind Justice,'' ``Relentless 4,'' ``A Place for Annie,'' ``Direct Hit,'' ``Oblivion'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by COLUMBIA TRISTAR
Gerard Depardieu plays a patriarch of a coal-mining family in
``Germinal.''
Photo by MGM
Ted Danson and Macaulay Culkin star as father and son in the comedy
``Getting Even With Dad.''
by CNB