Tragic French tale of two lives

"The Widow of Saint-Pierre" is a dry tale of rich drama, and although it's a French film (with English subtitles), its themes run deep in America as well.
   After a night of hard drinking, Neel Auguste (Emir Kusturica) murders one of his cohabitants on the small island of Saint-Pierre, a remote territory off the coast of Newfoundland. He's immediately repentant, but the law dictates he must die.
   Problem No. 1: Saint-Pierre has no guillotine or executioner, but the French government promises to send a guillotine from overseas.
   Problem No. 2: In the meantime, Auguste is placed into the custody of the island's smart, compassionate captain (Daniel Auteuil). The captain's wife, Madame La (Juliette Binoche), is instantly enthralled with Auguste and employs his help in manual labor.
   Trying to mend deep communal wounds, Madame La takes Auguste into the community where he acts as a fix-it-man for all. He fixes roofs and tends gardens, and in the process he even saves a woman's life. He also falls in love and marries a townswoman.
   Through the course of events, Auguste becomes popular and redeemed — something Madame La had pushed for — but the community then finds itself torn over an issue that otherwise went unnoticed.
   Madame La then has to decide whether she'll risk her reputation and standing to help Auguste escape. He, too, must decide whether to gamble his newfound honor or risk losing his life.
   This film is drenched with fascinating drama, but the weighty topic and the austere tone bogs it down. It moves at a crawl, but the subtext, like any good novel, suggests implications that will unsettle you for days.
   Binoche skillfully plays Madame La as an impossible-to-read woman, which helps further the unknown, vague nature of the undertone. Binoche's ability to nonchalantly play these optimistic turmoil-ridden characters is impressive; although "Widow" isn't the best example of her abilities (see her as Hana in "The English Patient"), it's another chapter in the surprisingly short career of one of today's most internationally respected actresses.
   The film's title becomes important because it's told as Madame La's flashback, so it's assumed she's the widow in reference. But that's not determined until the classic tragic French ending sets things straight.
   And remember, too: the Old French slang for guillotine was "widow."
  

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