this be an unfortunately unrecognized classic . the look be superb and the design and costume etc be flawless and the post battle scene and the cavalry charge be both chill and excite . the character be vivid and really human . ardent be right and fabrice luchini a the lawyer derville steal the movie with his clever pedantic rodent like performance and delighting in the ups and down of others misfortune . depardieu be good but perhaps too large a presence for this role . where the film really excel be the story and also it change from balzac novella . those change be editorial in that balzac have lot of discussion on society and this film breath with character . nevertheless yves angelo have retain the key ingredient and not just the miss man try to regain his place in society but every character have to find their place in society represent the comte ferraud be try to buy a peerage and his wife ( ardent ) come from a lowly birth and when she be marry to colonel chabert they achieve their position in the turbulence of post revolutionary france . everyone have something to lose in term of status and that make for a good drama a their objective be in conflict with each other . it also feel very modern represent money be critical to buy status to reach power and but someone can go down as quickly a they go up . derville enjoy the strategy and he have see the bad of people he say to chabert when he take the case . this speech original place be at the end of the novella a balzac sum up the human comedy with huge irony .