L'heure du cochon

I'm surprised this movie is so unknown! From the beginning, prepare to be impressed with the accurate visual detailing of mid fifteenth century France. I was wowed by the costumes, sets, and extras (who appear plucked straight from a period painting). The dialogue can be slightly convoluted at times, and a few of the characterizations felt slightly strained, but these are minor complaints. The movie, besides featuring a great understated performance by Colin Firth, also showcases a talented supporting cast. Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in the Lord of the Rings, is great as the knowledgeable priest. Jim Carter, as Firth's right hand man, is a wonderful and versatile actor (check him out in Downton Abbey). And finally Nicol Williamson as the nobleman, who has many opportunities for over-acting, but instead crafts a believable character and carries off his role with brilliant understatement. The premise, that all the trials presented in the film are based on actual 'crimes', generates much interest in the plot and makes this movie more than worth watching!

This film masterly deals with a very specific moment in the history of Western Christianity. It's not just the Medieval Ages .. since, in a generally accepted timetable, it started circa 450 AD and lasted 'til the rise of the Absolute Monarchies ... it depicts a moment of transition. The already settled upsurging process in which feudal cities would develop as independent political entities under the rule of a central monarchy ... a moment in which France's bourgeoisie starts to position itself as a major political and economical partner/supporter of a highly centralized monarchy in opposition to the decentralized political organization championed by feudal lords. A struggle which would, eventually in future times, determine how law and order should be imposed to society and the consequential encroachment of a national state. So, this film's story happens in the waning of French feudalism as a source of political and economical power. You must never forget that what is shown in this film as the feudal lord's privileges were once, in a then very recent past, the rule ... the French Revolution is still centuries away ... and not a trace yet of the Thirteen Colonies ... but now, that's all history.

Yeah ... yeah, it's a fiction alright ... a fiction loosely based on real legal reports of the Middle Age ... so yes, the things you'll see not just could have happened ... but eventually, and quite oftenly I should add, did actually happen very much in the same fashion exposed in this great film. By now you must be asking yourself ... why in the world is this guy beating around the bush for ?! ... and in my usual high style manner I would answer: Simply because without the previous historical pinpointing you would miss all the possible readings this film has to offer and the much needed gap filling. ... Furthermore, in case you're; yes you my dear reader, a High School student, don't even try to argue or use the info contained in this review in a school debate or essay ... firstly, it might be too specific for the common knowledge of most High School teachers ... and secondly, you obviously lack a yielding background knowledge to support it.

Most reviewers, including high ranking pros, missed the point completely as to what concerns this film ... one of them pros took it has a comedy and simply compared it to Mounty Python And The Holy Grail ... oh c'mon, how unreal can you get ?!!! The Hour Of The Pig does have some 'laughable moments' ... so does Reservoir Dogs ... but most of such moments will be laughed at based on our 21st Century understanding of reality and common sense. In spite the 'laughable moments', it's not a comedy ... it's a thriller. Some other reviewers, pros included, preferred comparing it to The Name Of The Rose. Such comparison is pure fallacy in all senses. I've seen the film and I've read the book ... the great result of erudite and throughout historical research, most specifically as to what concerns past and then still ongoing theological debates and disputes. Jean-Jacques Annaud somehow managed to destroy Umberto Eco's story and turned it into an overrated and underscored whodunit. The Hour Of The Pig is more of a what-the-heck-is-happening-here kind of thriller story ... and as the film unfolds, you'll be shown a very detailed and carefully crafted epoch re-enactment of everyday life in those times.

Basically the plot spirals around the ongoing dispute for the exercise of power (fiefdom versus highly centralized monarchies) staged in the trial of a domestic animal ... ultimately, a struggle for the upper hand in controlling the means, resources and legitimacy to impose fear upon society in general. 'It is the curse of our times ... gentlemen ... not the black death ... but fear ' says Pincheon as if previewing Thomas Hobbes by quite a few years. The Renaissance has been going on for more than a century already. The world was changing but not changed yet ... and such clash would still go on for centuries ahead. Leslie Megahey's competent approach as a director and scriptwriter has acquired for this film a stand alone feature. It's not a hamburger, take it with savoir vivre.

In 15th century France a suave, urban lawyer moves to the country to get a greatly needed change. He is in search of the noble peasant. He has tired of the guiles and wiles of city-folk; he wants nothing more of them. Unfortunately he is almost immediately beset with the wackiness that could only be found in the country. He now has to defend a pig. And against the charge of murder no less. This is a moving story. To see how people who differed were viewed as animals hurts my sensibilities but it wasn't that long ago...

Firstly, this movie is based on true legal cases during the 15th century which makes it intriguing from the get go. It is based on Richard Cortois, played by Colin Firth, an Advocate who leaves a practice in Paris, to seek the simple country life in a village named Abbeville. What he finds is a quite different story. Country law applies to both man and beast and that is where much of the fun unfolds. The story centers mainly around the case against a pig accused of killing a Jewish child. Courtois, at first, finds the case a bit ridiculous, but finds that as the defense Advocate, he must represent the pig. He is also solicited by the pig's owner to try the case "as the pig is everything to them". As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that there is more here than meets the eye. The case becomes a symbol of maintaining order in the little country town. Courtois attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery and finds that other children have similiarly gone missing over the last year. He is provided a hint by a client tried for witchery saying "Look to the boy, Maitre". It is a great film on many levels and provides quite a bit of comic relief during the many trial sequences. Ian Holm, as the priest who has his own defination of good-which includes trysts with many of his lady parishoners, gives a worthy performance as does Nicole Williamson as the corrupt Seigneur. It is Colin Firth who shines in his wonderful portrayal of Richard Cortois, the one driving force of nobility and honor in the town rotten to the core with evil.

I saw this film as "The Advocate," not that it matters, but just so you know. The place where I rented it didn't have the original box, so I had NO idea what the film was about. I was, um, surprised.

Colin Firth plays a 15th-century lawyer (called an advocate) who moves to the country from Paris. He wants to get in touch with the real essence of the law, defending the common folk and such. As it turns out, animals can be charged with crimes as well. Poor Colin finds himself defending rats and a pig in open court. (I could make a really obvious crack about the parallels to the practices of modern law, but that's a tad crass. Truthful, but crass.)

The film's claim that the secret of the movie is along the same lines of "The Crying Game" is surely meant as a joke. Still, the movie spends too much dwelling on the absurdity of defending animals and not enough time finding a story to tell. There is some twaddle about defending a beautiful gypsy woman's pig in a murder trial, but it is never gripping or, sadly, interesting.

The acting make up for the triteness of the story, though. Firth is solid and has some great scenes with the Seigneur who owns the land and the village Firth comes to reside in. There is also a small appearance by the wonderful, underrated, nuanced, subtle IAN HOLM~ as a shady priest. The cast raises the film from the status of sideshow curiosity.

While the "Crying Game" style secret is a reference to the murder case that is (ultimately) shuffled off to the side of the movie, I have no problem revealing another big secret of "The Advocate": the sow is really a hog!!!