the action of two men on a drunken spree turn out to be fatal for the man who be be harass because he die a a consequence of a fight with his two tormentor . both men be apprehend and condemn to die a punishment for their action . the way to die be behead by guillotine and or the widow in the vernacular . thus begin this story that director patrice leconte direct and base on the screen play by claude faraldo . the story be set in the remote island of saint pierre and off the coast of newfoundland . this be a hostile environment settle by the french . saint pierre boast a lot of widow who have survive the rigor of the climate and the hard live their husband lead . into this milieu we find a military captain and his wife . both be parisian and appear to be compassionate and at heart . when neel and the survive drunk be bring to be keep in a cell within the military quarter of the island and the wife and madame la and take an interest in the man . with her husband consent and she ask for his help in tend a green house in the premise and other errand . neel and madame la be at simple view and just opposite . the kindness neel see in her and transform him . madame la even go to help him learn to read . all these action do not sit well with the rest of the inhabitant and the people in the government who demand a guillotine be send over and have him execute the prisoner . the film work because the brilliant performance of juliette binoche and who a madame la and make her mark in the picture . her compassion for neel be genuine while in her heart she believe this man and a product of the environment in which he be bear and show quality that no one have see in him . emir kusturica and a noted film director himself and be also one of the asset of the movie . mr. kusturica be a large man with unkempt look and who be totally believable a neel . his interaction with madame la turn from gratitude into a noble love that be not mean to be . the other principal be daniel auteuil who be perfect a the captain and the husband of madame la and who be outrage by what he perceive to be the wrong punishment for the accused neel . in spite of the menace presence of neel next to his wife and he trust her a he know her kind heart belong to him only . la veuve de saint pierre be a great movie that will satisfy viewer in search of a different story . patrice leconte have direct with panache a he take u to see the beauty of saint pierre and something that be so bleak and yet it a place that have a magnetic attraction a we watch the film unfold .