The story of Martin Guerre has traversed centuries and borders. Daniel Vigne told this story with the modern film “The Return of Martin Guerre.” This film has received attention from historical scholars mainly because a well-established historian, Natalie Zamon Davis, was a consultant in the development of this film. Davis also generated her own academic history of the same story after her experience as a consultant. She claimed that after the film gave little consideration to historical facts that she supplied, she felt obligated to examine the case in detail and generate an academically acceptable version of the story. She claimed this was the case especially since the film generally produced historical possibilities and not proofs. The
…show more content…
Evidence supports the film’s interpretation of Arnaud, the imposter, as a trickster, though one captivated by his role as a husband and a peasant householder. The film also accurately demonstrated the sense of responsibility as depicted in the sixteenth-century peasant …show more content…
In the film trial, unlike Davis’, Bertrande’s double role is not depicted. Instead, Bertrande always backs the imposter as her true husband throughout the trial. This is regrettably a clear divergence from Davis’ thoroughly researched historical account. Further, this position is a legal impossibility as the case would not have stood on trial had Bertrande not supported the complaint. The position would also weaken her position as a manipulated innocent in the trial. Instead of sticking to the historical record, the film applied a nineteenth century conception of Romance to Bertrande’s relationship with the imposter she believed was her husband. This also acted as contrary to the legal vulnerability that Bertrande faced as a woman in the sixteenth century. Her focus had to be a peaceable marriage, taking maximum precautions to avoid accusations of adultery on one hand and a threat to her life and the life of her child on the other. Vigne may have thought that to represent the shifting weight of the charisma and initiative towards the fake Martin and the actual historical context would make the plot too complex. Consequently, the film positioned a sixteenth-century account where Bertrande supported her husband until it was too late, rather than adopting her historical strategy of self-protection from
Evidence supports the film’s interpretation of Arnaud, the imposter, as a trickster, though one captivated by his role as a husband and a peasant householder. The film also accurately demonstrated the sense of responsibility as depicted in the sixteenth-century peasant …show more content…
In the film trial, unlike Davis’, Bertrande’s double role is not depicted. Instead, Bertrande always backs the imposter as her true husband throughout the trial. This is regrettably a clear divergence from Davis’ thoroughly researched historical account. Further, this position is a legal impossibility as the case would not have stood on trial had Bertrande not supported the complaint. The position would also weaken her position as a manipulated innocent in the trial. Instead of sticking to the historical record, the film applied a nineteenth century conception of Romance to Bertrande’s relationship with the imposter she believed was her husband. This also acted as contrary to the legal vulnerability that Bertrande faced as a woman in the sixteenth century. Her focus had to be a peaceable marriage, taking maximum precautions to avoid accusations of adultery on one hand and a threat to her life and the life of her child on the other. Vigne may have thought that to represent the shifting weight of the charisma and initiative towards the fake Martin and the actual historical context would make the plot too complex. Consequently, the film positioned a sixteenth-century account where Bertrande supported her husband until it was too late, rather than adopting her historical strategy of self-protection from