In early 70s, Jacquou Le Croquant series was a great TV success. Not sure this will be equally the case for this 2007 version. What could have attracted Laurent Boutonnat in Le Roy's novel can be easily spotted here : Wide spaces, fighting between nobles and peasants, post revolution ambiance.. Laurent Boutonnat comeback to movies is unfortunately not a great experience.Without Mylène Farmer, but all sorts of meaningless symbols and a handful of ready made scenes,this leads to a very disappointing movie, This picture that could have been great is simply a succession of movie-clips , without any coherence.

Jacquou le Croquant is a good production that is unfortunately too long and too slow. Some parts are unnecessary and could have been taken out, or at least shortened. These two flaws will turn off a lot of people.However, if you can keep up with the snail pace, the movie is pretty good with a fair mix of action and touching moments. The first part of the story follows Jacquou as a young boy who loses both of his parents, and ends up being taken care of by the churchman of the village. The second part covers his revenge against the man who is responsible for the death of his parents now that he is a young man.The dialogues and acting isn't all that great, but the actor(s) playing Jacquou is cute as a kid and handsome as an adult (the two lead actresses are very beautiful as well). The sceneries and imagery is simply breathtaking and the melodies enchanting. The movie is definitely great to look at, if anything, despite the weak storyline (but still does the job of staying interesting all the way through).Jacquou le Croquant is nothing special, but to the right audience it's a good movie in all respect.

I saw this movie in the avant-premiere in a little cinema in the Dordogne. The music in this movie is very enchanting, the images are almost like paintings, so beautifully shot, such a fantastic nature. This movie is very powerful with lots of drama and love. Laurent Boutonnat has definitely evolved artistically since his last movie Giorgino (1994). Also the music, besides the classical Boutonnat elements, like arpeggios of violins, synthesizers mixed with acoustical instruments, ethnic instruments, in-versed chords and simple melodies, has definitely evolved. The main character (Jacquou), played by Gaspard Ulliel is very believable. The title song is sung by the French icon Mylène Farmer.

I had the memory of a "Jacquou Le Croquant", hero of a TV mini-series of my childhood, who had lost his parents by the fault of an aristocrat and more generally because of the post-Napoleonean social classes system, and who came to a revenge by leading a revolt especially against that social system and against the man which incarnates the cause of the tragedy of his family. On the basis of that, one expects to see a social fresco full of various emotions that goes along with the rich History of France of that period: tragedy, love, revenge, popular revolt (revolution against the established order), freedom seeking, and other great emotions which accompany this kind of epic stories… But it is not the case.The narration is too slow and really insipid. The actors are just as pale as the story and its rhythm. What a waist for such a beautifully photographed picture! If one can afford to see Laurent Boutonnat's version of "Jacquou" is solely because it's good-looking at. Costumes and the decoration are really really superb! The director definitely is a good director of photography, and even a good soundtrack composer but certainly not a storyteller, definitely not a director.