Job par Victor Dupuy October 1, 2024
Passionate about fencing and a specialist in roles where swords must be crossed, the Swiss actor returns to directing with this period film on the bygone art of dueling. Carried by spectacular fights and a striking duo (Roschdy Zem and Doria Tillier), An Affair of Honor has nothing to be ashamed of in the face of the flashy new representatives of the swashbuckling film.
An illegal but very popular practice
If you followed the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, you probably miss the fencing events in the magnificent setting of the Grand Palais. At each Olympics, this sport is always one of the most followed, and it is not Vincent Perez who will complain about it.
A big fan of fencing before the Eternal, he decided to pay him a form of homage with this film which transports us to 1887, to a time when many disputes were still resolved by challenging each other to a duel – even if the law already prohibits it.
Normally, this is a practice reserved for men, but Marie-Rose Astié (Doria Tillier) – a feminist activist who actually existed – disturbs these gentlemen when she demands compensation for the misogynistic mockery that she endures daily in a newspaper.
A film generous with well-choreographed duels
He is obviously refused the right to fight, but his tenacity allows him to obtain this duel. Here she is ready to train with Clément Lacaze (Roschdy Zem), a master of arms of great talent but traumatized by the war, and himself busy challenging a horrible colonel (played by Vincent Perez) to a duel out of the spirit of revenge.
Known for his recurring roles in swashbuckling films (CYRANO DE BERGERACQUEEN MARGOT, THE HUNCHBACK, FANFAN THE TULIPE), the Swiss actor and director masters his subject, and it shows on the screen
The different battles ofA MATTER OF HONOR (2023) are perfectly choreographed – by veteran specialist Michel Carliez – and filmed, with such dry staging that it perfectly reproduces the extreme violence and absurdity of these clashes which end in blood and often even go to death.
The comeback of a genre
Vincent Perez films men haunted by the idea of appearing weak – and therefore not virile enough -, while the heroine played by a convincing Doria Tillier must fight for the right to… wear pants – let’s not talk of the right to vote. This discrepancy sheds cruel but necessary light on a time when masculinity is wreaking havoc more than ever, including by crushing men in war.
As often, Roschdy Zem is impeccable in this ambiguous role, and fans of historical films will also delight in the quality of the sets and costumes of this big Gaumont production. Ultimate proof that the new behemoths of the swashbuckling film that are THE THREE MUSKETEERS (2023) and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2024) are not the only ones worth a look.
A MATTER OF HONORavailable on CANAL+.
