Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786301801317
Format: Color
ISBN: 6301801318
Label: Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: 1987-01-15
Running Time: 113
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 1986-06-13

Customer Rating:
Summary: It's Good To Touch The Gris-Gris Grass Of Home
Comment: Belizaire The Cajun is a tiny treasure worth tracking down. It's a star vehicle for Armand Assante; he's most likely the only actor you'll know by name, although you will recognize character stalwarts Stephen McHattie - an excellent bad guy, and Will Patton. Don't blink for the appearance of Robert Duvall who, along with Robert Redford, helped greenlight the project.

Assante carries the film almost single-handedly, with some appealing support from Gail Youngs as his on and off girlfriend. He plays Belizaire Breaux, a medicine man in the rural backwoods - not to say bald cypress swamps - of mid-19th century Louisiana, deep in Cajun country. While the Cajun folk have more tenure in the area; their well to do landowner neighbors have more clout, including a Cajun sheriff in their pocket. A highly distasteful "ethnic cleansing" program begins, led by a team of vigilantes reminiscent of the Klan.

In addition to personal charisma, Belizaire's status as medicine man makes him the community's de facto leader, and they look to him for guidance. Rather than rallying the entire community, Belizaire attempts to bring peace through personal sacrifice. By the film's end he has epitomized everything you've ever heard about the sly, ingenious wit of Cajun people who live alongside the general community but are not truly a part of it and consequently must rely on their creativity and cunning.

The plot is spare, the scale is small, there is little evidence of production value to be seen. None of this detracts from Belizaire The Cajun. What this picture does extremely well is take you to another place and time convincingly, it drops you right on the lawn. The Cajun music is superb throughout; the depiction of common life is so vivid it reminds one of Brueghel's paintings.

How the Cajun people ended up in Louisiana to preserve their intriguing customs and marvelous patois is a fascinating chapter is American history. This movie doesn't just tell you about it; you can smell the gumbo. Assante was perfectly cast; he embodies the joie de vivre and sheer zest that characterize Cajun life.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Long time favorite!
Comment: This is one movie I watch over and over. I love that it covers a part of American history that most of us do not know, I love the language, the actors, the plot and the music by Michael Doucet.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Belizaire the Cajun
Comment: The movie had a great cast and was well-written. I would definitely recommend it to others.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: On my most favorite list
Comment: I first picked this up out of the bargain bin at the video store. I was mostly interested in the music. I had seen another movie with a Cajun story line called "Southern Comfort" and discovered I loved the music. So, I bought Belizaire b/c I wanted to have the music. And make no mistake, the music is great! But I was majorly surprised at how wonderful the movie is! I stand in agreement with the other reviewers - this is well worth owning. Its one you'll want to see repeatedly. I know I still enjoy it every time I watch it, and its been many times over the years.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Bayou a copy right now, you!
Comment: A genuine sleeper that I never thought would make it to DVD! The story takes place in pre-Civil War Louisiana. Armand Assante ("I The Jury", "The Mambo Kings") delivers a one-of-kind performance as a charismatic Cajun healer/con man who is elected by fate into becoming the pivotal figure in a powderkeg situation involving racist persecution. The film unfolds like a classic myth, or a great lost American folktale. Director Glen Pitre (of Cajun ancestory himself) immerses you in a time and place of American history where few have tread. You could call this a realistic "western" ("southern"?) adventure in the tradition of "McCabe & Mrs Miller", "Zandy's Bride", "The Hired Hand" or "Days Of Heaven". Like the aforementioned films, "Belizaire the Cajun" eschews traditional "action" scenes for engaging character development. While there are the requisite gunfights, "posse" chases and public hanging scenes, it never rings a false note; it all plays very "real". There is actually quite a bit of humor, despite the serious themes, making this film a great all-around entertainment. Memorable gallows scene toward the end is a near-classic all by itself. The 2004 DVD release sports a "less than pristeen" full-screen transfer, but the original print was low-budget to begin with. The audio is decent and the list price more than fair. Well worth your time.

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