"Jean Chouan" was a mammoth serial in 8 episodes depicting an impossible love between a royalist Chouan and the daughter of a revolutionary, member of the committee of public safety ;a sweeping historical epic, well directed.
The Chouans were a royalist counter-revolutionary movement in the Vendée and in Brittany .
The 11th of July 1792 was the day the deputies declared the homeland "in danger" and the French join the army en masse.During the session, Danton appears and has his famous sentence about "daring" .
Marie-Claire, congressman Ardouin 's daughter ,is in love with Jacques ,Jean Chouan's son ,one of the leaders of the counter-revolutionary rebels :around them a lot of colorful characters :the Lefranc family ,the father joins the army as a soldier, his wife as a vivandière and his son as a drummer boy!Jean Chouan ,an adamant leader whose icons are God and his king ,and an aristocrat ,the marchioness of Thérigné.....The most interesting one is the countess of Carquefous,despised by her pairs (scene in the dungeon)because she was born a plebeian .Her desire for revenge makes her swell the ranks of the revolutionaries where she's nicknamed "the archangel of revolution" : becoming Ardouin 's mistress ,she's now a person of influence .
Apart from Danton,another historic person, general Marceau ,plays a prominent part in this far-fetched story :although he's fighting for the revolution,he shows himself a loyal human generous character,which he was ,according to historians (he would die in 1796).One should note that the movie is almost devoid of the usual cliché : the villains/blood-thirsty revolutionaries and the virtuous aristocrats victims of the fury .
"The perils of Pauline " in the revolutionary years :it's a long way to happiness for Romeo/Jacques and Juliette/Marie-Claire in a dissension which tears Brittany apart .
Like this? try these....
"Les Chouans" Henri Calef ,1946
"Chouans" Philippe De Broca ,1988
"Les Révoltés de Lomanach,Richard Pottier,1953
