French film classic "Colonel Chabert" at Lee Library
Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library will screen "Colonel Chabert" Thursday (Jan. 16) at 5 p.m. in the library auditorium as part of the French Film Series.<br><br>
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Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library will screen "Colonel Chabert" Thursday (Jan. 16) at 5 p.m. in the library auditorium as part of the French Film Series.

Based on an historical fiction novel by Balzc, the film is a 1994 rendition of an earlier black-and-white film produced in 1943. It is directed by the prolific French director Yves Angelo.

"Colonel Chabert" tells the story of an officer, played by Gerard Depardieu, who has been severely wounded in the French-Russian Napoleonic War. Convinced that Chabert's situation is hopeless, the medical examiner signs his death certificate.

Chabert, however, regains his health and memory and goes back to Paris, where his "widow" has married the Count Ferraud and is financing his rise to power using Chabert's money. The colonel hires a lawyer to reclaim his money and his honor.

"'Colonel Chabert' is about someone who has to prove he is still alive and demonstrates how it's sometimes necessary to dissolves your selfhood to establish an identity-to give in to societal demands," says Richard Hacken, European Studies librarian. "The colonel wasn't willing to do this."

Admission to the film is free, although seating is limited. Please call Richard Hacken at (801) 422-2374 for more information.

Writer: Craig Kartchner