Le radeau de la Méduse
Iranian Iradj Azimi directed this French historical drama re-creating events depicted in the famous 1819 painting The Raft of the Medusa by Jean Louis Andre Theodore Gericault (1791-1824). The ill-fated voyage of the frigate Medusa begins when it departs Rochefort for Senegal in 1816. After striking a sandbar off the African coast, 150 civilians row safely to shore, but Captain Chaumareys (Jean Yanne) orders 140 soldiers and sailors onto a raft (minus supplies) and has it cut loose. Only 14 survive from the 140, creating a scandal back in France. Gericault (Laurent Terzieff) later talks to three of the survivors while researching his painting. Work on this film began in 1987, but sets destroyed by Hurricane Hugo caused delays, so the film was not completed until 1990. However, it then remained undistributed until an incident in which writer-director Azimi slashed his wrists in front of French Ministry of Culture officials.
Cast
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Jean Yanne
Played Chaumareys
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Daniel Mesguich
Played Coudein
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Claude Jade
Played Reine Schmaltz
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Philippe Laudenbach
Played Julien Schmaltz
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Alain Macé
Played Coudein
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Rufus
Played Harmonica
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Victor Garrivier
Played Richefort
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Michel Baumann
Played Maître d'équipage
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Laurent Terzieff
Played Théodore Géricault
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Jean Desailly
Played La Tullaye
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Marie Matheron
Played la cantinière aveugl…
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Laurence Hamelin
Played la cantinière
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Stephanie Lanoux
Played Mlle Schmaltz
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