Like Marceau (1769-1796) ,Jean Chouan (1757-1794) did exist ,even though his name has not really gone down in history ;he played a prominent part in the counter revolution ,with his three brothers , Pierre ,François and René ,but his son (Jacques in the film) is nowhere to be found.He supported the émigrés , saved the priests and the revolutionaries put a price on his head;the circumstances of his death are mysterious ;he may have been shot down while protecting his sister-in-law (who might or might not be have been pregnant)
The series (eight episodes lating about 50 min) has little to do with history ;but it 's got a well-constructed action-packed screenplay.In the second part, Marie-Claire ,daughter of the member of "the Comité De Salut Public" ,who acts as the governor of the Vendée region, is kidnapped by the Chouans and her father is facing a dilemma: either he frees the prisoners -soon to be guillotined- or his daughter will die ;but Jacques , Jean Chouan's son is in love with their hostage.
Marceau,who loves her too ,plays an important part in the story;he was really arrested but not courtmartialed ;as far as he is concerned the ending of the serial makes sense : he was to continue the war beyond the borders .And his enemy's son would join him.
The bravura passage is the scene when Marie-Claire and the marchioness,who helped her to escape from the Chouans ' clutches,cross the "Gois",the ford which leads from the mainland to the Noirmoutiers island when the tide is rising ;this part is strongly influenced by Feuillade's serials,with its secret passage and its "turning stone" .The old peasant woman's words who keeps on repeating "Not' Bonne marquise" ,ring true .
The director uses short flashbacks which smartly replace lines (for instance when the Chouan tells his master about the flight to get to the island.
The female characters epitomize duty: you must be true to yourself ,to your ideal,even when they talk to an enemy ;Marceau is their male counterpart : "Jean Chouan and Ardouin detest one another ,but there's no contempt between them"
