Llove letters, duels and daring adventures. They are the characterizing elements of any self-respecting period film, capable of arousing a romantic inspiration, but not only. They are also the driving factors de The return of the heroFrench costume comedy directed by Laurent Tirard, on air this evening at 21.20 on Rai 2. Protagonists, Jean Dujardin and Melanie Laurent in the role of two extremely rational characters, who have little or nothing romantic.
The return of the heroplot of the film with Noémie Merlant
In early 19th century Burgundy, Captain Charles-Grégoire Neuville (Jean Dujardin) asks Pauline Beaugrand (Noémie Merlant) to marry him. The woman accepts enthusiastically, after all she was waiting for nothing else. However, it is 1809 and France is preparing to go to war, but promises his girlfriend to write to her every day.
Since he is the furthest thing from the prototype of a brave and loyal man, doesn’t write a single line. Days, weeks, months go by, but of Neuville there is no news. Pauline despairs and tries to find a plausible answer to those unexpected silences. To take matters in hand is Elizabeth (Mélanie Laurent), the younger sister.
Jean Dujardin is Captain Neuville in “The Return of the Hero”. (JD Prod)
He poses as Neuville and embarks on a lengthy correspondence with Pauline. Missives full of words of love and feeling. Pauline smiles again, her parents are enthusiastic and Elizabeth concocts a story full of anecdotes and adventures. She does this to help her sister, but she at one point suspects that she has exaggerated her stories about her.
Neuville dies, but not for long
So take a step back. He decides to have Neuville killed. He writes a letter announcing that he is going to fight against the English, certain that he will fall in battle. In this last missive, he writes his last wishes in a heroic and romantic tone. Pauline, desperate, decides to marry another man, Nicolas (Christophe Montenez).
Instead, three years later Charles-Grégoire returns. However, the context has changed. There Beaugrand has two sons, while Neuville does not return as a hero, but as a defeated man. It is Elizabeth who meets him by chance. The man looks like a tramp: he no longer wears a uniform, but crumpled clothes, has a long beard and a terrible smell. He tells her that he is a deserter and that he would like to see Pauline again.
Elizabeth makes him give up, explaining that for everyone he died a hero. At that point, Neuville agrees to leave in exchange for a sum of money. Well, a few days later he returns to the castle of the Beaugrand family, dressed well. After a few moments of bewilderment, he is greeted triumphantly. He announces that he wants to give up on Pauline and recounts his deeds, inventing daring stories, just like Elizabeth had done in her letters.
Mélanie Laurent is Elizabeth Beaugrand. (JD Prod)
The marriage proposal to Elizabeth
Soon word spreads of his return home ed it is Elizabeth who helps him carry on the staging, showing him the correspondence with his sister. Become a hero, courted by the richest women in town and anyone who wants to do business with him. The only one who remains hostile to him is Elizabeth. She knows he’s actually a crook and looks for a way to expose him.
Meanwhile, he discovers that Pauline is still madly in love with him and Nicolas decides to challenge him to a duel. At dawn on the appointed day, Pauline gets in the way and stops the fight. At that point, the husband gives up the duel and orders her to return. At that point, her wife realizes she is in love with her husband and peace returns to the couple.
Elizabeth’s plan fails. furious, she orders Neuville to confess the truth to her parents before she does herself. The captain accepts, but in the presence of the Beaugrands, instead of telling the truth, asks for his hand. The woman is so shocked that she can’t tell the truth and she runs away.
Melanie Laurent and Jean Dujardin. (JD Prod)
The ending of The return of the hero
He doesn’t pay, he has another idea to stop Neuville. He decides to invite the captain of a battalion passing through the city to dinner. The hope is to expose the pretender’s lies putting him under pressure regarding the Austrian campaign. Again, Neuville narrowly escapes. Other daring adventures follow, at the end of which Elizabeth relents and decides to marry him.
However, during the ceremony, Neuville learns that he must leave for the front immediately. He mounts the horse and he promises Elizabeth to write to her every day. The Beaugrand family is speechless as they watch him walk away, astonished. Elizabeth, on the other hand, the only one who has always understood the true nature of the captain, feels relieved.
The rest of the cast
In the cast they also appear Evelyne Buyle as Madame Beaugrand, Christian Bujeau in those of Monsieur Beaugrand, while Feodor Aktine it is General Mortier-Duplessis. Yet, Fabienne Galula it’s Eugenie, Laurent Bateau plays Monsieur Dunoyer e Aurelie Bouquine is Madame Dunoyer.
Jean-Michel Lahmihowever, plays Monsieur Loiseau, while Sophie Nicolas and Mathilde Roehrich they wear the clothes of Madame Loiseau and the maid respectively.
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