Cordélia is a 1980 Canadian French language film directed and written by Jean Beaudin.[1] It is an adaptation of the novel La lampe dans la fenêtre by Pauline Cadieux, itself based on the real-life 1890s murder trial of Cordélia Viau and Samuel Parslow.[2]
| Cordélia | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jean Beaudin |
| Written by | Jean Beaudin Marcel Sabourin |
| Based on | La lampe dans la fenêtre by Pauline Cadieux |
| Produced by | Roger Frappier Jacques Gagné Jean-Marc Garand |
| Starring | Louise Portal |
| Cinematography | Pierre Mignot |
| Edited by | Jean Beaudin |
| Music by | Maurice Blackburn |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $450,000 (estimated) |
Plot
editSet in a village in the 1890s, the film centres on Cordélia Viau (Louise Portal), a woman who invites men into her home while her husband is away. This action offends the conservative villagers. One of the men who was invited in is found dead and the woman is suspected and judged for her immoral act rather than the crime of murder she may have committed.
Cast
edit- Louise Portal as Cordelia Viau
- Gaston Lepage as Samuel Parslow
- Raymond Cloutier as Me Jos Fortier
- Gilbert Sicotte as Me Jean-Dominique Leduc
- James Blendick as Bourreau Radcliff
- Pierre Gobeil as Isidore Poirier
- Marcel Sabourin as Sheriff Lapointe
- Rolland Bédard as Tournecle Groulx
- Claude Gauthier as Cure Pineau
- Jean-Pierre Masson as Hotelier Lacombe
- Lionel Villeneuve as M. Bouvrette
- Olivette Thibault as Mme Bouvrette
- Jean Duceppe as Juge Ouimet
- Jean Gascon as Juge Wurtele
- Gratien Gélinas as Juge Bosse
- Doris Lussier as Juge Blanchet
- Gilles Vigneault as Juge Hall
- Michelle Rossignol as Mme Neveu
Critical response
editMark Leslie of Cinema Canada favourably reviewed the film, writing that "Like Beaudin's last feature, J.A. Martin photographe, Cordelia is also a sumptuous period piece of pastel colours, soft, expressive lighting and glimpses of a visually beautiful past. But occasionally the prettiness of these images creates a discord in the film, not unlike that resulting from the unexplained plot details already discussed. The beautiful light in the jail makes Cordelia's imprisonment appear unnecessarily romantic."[3]
The film was one of two, alongside Jean-Claude Labrecque's The Coffin Affair (L'Affaire Coffin), which was criticized by justice Jules Deschênes of the Quebec Superior Court for having purportedly erred in points of law.[4] According to Deschênes, there was no evidence that the real Cordélia Viau had not committed the murder, and thus the film's thesis that she was wrongfully convicted was slanderous to the judicial system.[4]
Awards
editThe film received seven Genie Award nominations at the 1st Genie Awards in 1980.
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genie Awards | March 20, 1980 | Best Picture | Jean-Marc Garand, Roger Frappier, Jacques Gagné | Nominated | [5] |
| Best Actress | Louise Portal | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Jean Beaudin, Marcel Sabourin | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Pierre Mignot | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction or Production Design | Denis Boucher, Vianney Gauthier | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Louise Jobin | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Jean Beaudin | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. ISBN 1-894073-21-5. p. 48.
- ^ "Man and Woman Executed". The New York Sun, March 11, 1899.
- ^ Mark Leslie, "Jean Beaudin's Cordélia". Cinema Canada, April 1980. pp. 37-38.
- ^ a b "Films 'err seriously' judge says". The Globe and Mail, October 6, 1980.
- ^ Jay Scott, "Changeling leads Canadian Film Award nominees". The Globe and Mail, February 8, 1980.
External links
edit- Cordélia at IMDb
- Watch Cordélia on the NFB website