Battle Of The Brave (2005)

This is a Canadian movie that was filmed in both French and English. It is called "Nouvelle-France" in French. It was filmed in the province of Quebec. It is based during the last days of New France (ie France's control of Quebec in the 18th Century) and the beginning of British rule. The film is loosely based on Marie-Josephte Corriveau who was found guilty, by a British court martial, of murdering her second husband, placed in a metal gibbet and hanged in 1763. The film goes beyond just this murder and looks at many issues: the role of France within Nouvelle-France and its willingness to give it up, the role of the Catholic Church within Quebec, the willingness of some French Canadians to switch alliances so easily once the British occupied Quebec and the whole social structure of Quebec with both the French and then then British.

Noémie Godin-Vigneau plays the main character, Marie-Loup Carignan, and does a great job portraying an independent woman in the 18th Century trying to live her own life while other forces (the Church, the French and then the British) vie for control around her. Juliette Gosselin plays her young daughter, France Carignan and also does a good job.  Gérard Depardieu plays the corrupt Father Thomas Blondeau who lies and schemes against both against Marie-Loup as well as the people of Quebec. David La Haye  plays François le Gardeur who is Marie-Loup's one true love and who not only fights for her, but also for New France.

This movie has many messages and makes you stop and think about what you would do if placed in the same situation. I like that it was filmed in Quebec with a mostly French-Canadian cast as it is their history and is not "corrupted" by French (from France) influence over how they want to be portrayed. I would like to see more movies like this about other periods of French-Canadian history.