UPFRONT January 9, 2006 Issue

So ... what's happened?

MARILYN JONES, SENIOR WRITER

One of my favorite movies, a French film called The Return of Martin Guerre, starring Gérard Depardieu, hit American theaters in 1982. The plot, which the filmmakers adapted from a centuries-old story, takes place in 16th-century France: A man who deserted his wife and child, suddenly returns to the village eight years later.

But something wonderful has happened—he has transformed from a loutish, abusive, violent husband and father into a loving, kind man who becomes beloved by his family and the whole village. However, this unlikely metamorphosis causes some people to believe he's a fraud, and he is. But he's so tenderhearted and sensitive that even those who doubt his identity, including his wife, choose to ignore the glitches in his story and accept him as the long-missing Martin Guerre.

But trouble begins when the real Martin Guerre turns up after a couple of years, still a brute and demanding to resume his marriage and place in the village. A trial ensues, and the almost-twin-like impostor is executed. The wife and child and the villagers are devastated. But the law—and the church—demand justice according to the letter of the law.

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