The Return Of Martin Guerre DVD

In 16th Century France, a man (Gérard Depardieu) arrives in a village and claims to be Martin Guerre, last seen heading off with a band of mercenaries eight years earlier.  Most people are convinced: he seems to know everything that he should about his family background, and his wife Bertrande (Nathalie Baye) is particularly pleased that he seems far more attentive to her needs than the selfish, immature lout who abandoned her and their child.  But when Martin attempts to claim an inheritance, his enemies suggest that he might be an impostor named Arnaud du Tilh, leading rumours to spread to the point where only a full-scale court hearing can resolve matters – with the aid of evidence that we would now recognise as authentic forensic science.  Based on an actual trial that has passed into French legend, this beautifully designed and directed fable raises searching questions about the notion of ‘identity’.

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