MovieChat Forums > Le retour de Martin Guerre (1983) Discussion > Connection between identity and Protesta...

Connection between identity and Protestant-Catholic relations (spoilers)

posted 10 years ago by PoppyTransfusion
1 reply | jump to latest

A few days ago I watched the film La Reine Margot and so was familiar with the St Bartholomew's Day massacre which saw many thousands of Protestants murdered by Catholics in France. The film's epilogue tells us that Jean de Coras, the representative of the Toulouse parliament at the investigation and court hearings in the case of Guerre, was one who was killed during the massacre.

He had presided over the execution of Martin Guerre - a true case of impersonation - who took the place of a man who was a weak husband and man. Having usurped the husband he was sentenced to hang. The St Bartholomew's massacre occurred after the sister of the Catholic king married a Protestant provincial king in order to secure power for her Catholic family and an uneasy peace between Catholic and Protestant in the name of a weak Catholic king. For the reasons it was intended, the marriage failed.

I see a connection between the two concerning French identity and usurping the established orthodoxy/family. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

The distance is nothing. The first step is the hardest.

[–] linda_lee110282 9 years ago

Actually, most people (about 60%) murdered during the massacre were Catholics. Of course, many protestants were also killed, but "massacre of prostestants" became an excuse for senseless violence and every person who had a grudge with another took the opportunity of the bloodbath to deal with the "problem" once for all. In the end, this sad and tragic event became a tool of propaganda for both sides.

By the way,I enjoyed the mataphor.