The Horseman On The Roof

Although there is only one extra on the DVD, it's a worthwhile one - an in-depth interview with director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. He speaks knowledgeably and elegantly about the story and its movement from novel to film, as well as some of the technical highlights of making it. He begins with a brief discussion of the author Jean Giano, who published Le Hussard Sur Le Toit in 1951. Giano, unknown to me before now, appears to be a popular French author of the pre-war period, who specialised in regional literature. He lived all his life in Provence, in the town of Manosque, where much of the action in The Horseman On The Roof is set.

Rappenau conveys a genuine enthusiasm for the story and its setting. He also reveals that the novel was due to be filmed a number of times by a variety of famous French directors, but, for one reason or another, never came to fruition. Were it not for the fact that the interview reveals the film's ending, I would encourage you to watch it first, before the film, as Rappeneau's comments add a great deal.