Shot over a period of four and a half months in 50 different locations.
Jean-Paul Rappeneau spent over a year searching for a suitable male lead. Olivier Martinez had to audition several times before he landed the part.
Keanu Reeves was a fan of the novel and met with Rappeneau for the part of Angelo. But the director wanted a french actor instead.
Literary references in the movie include Ludovico Ariosto's "The Frenzy of Orlando" aka "The Raging Roland" (O: Orlando Furioso) by Ludovico Ariosto, a version of the legend of Tristan and Isolde is also read out. A copy of "Jerusalem Delivered" aka "The Liberation of Jerusalem" (O: La Gerusalemme liberata) by Torquato Tasso is lent to Angelo. The French author, poet and dramatist Victor Hugo is referenced in a conversation at a dinner table.