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I saw this movie at the Chicago International Film Festival, after reading the book (in the original French, just so you know this is somewhat objective). The book is not Balzac's best. The story line is uncomfortably obsessive and violent, without any redeeming warmth or emotion. The movie is worse. The Duchesse is stiff, looks like she is standing in an uncomfortable draft throughout the movie and there's no chemistry between her and the protagonist. It's a long movie by most standards, and truly not worth the time. Half the audience walked out of the movie before the end at the showing I attended, muttering things like "insupportable" and "horrible."
One thing I liked about The Duchess of Langeais was that the actors, including Balibar, are not polished, conventional beauties, but normal-looking people whose clothes sometimes fit awkwardly -- i.e., that the movie is decidely not a costume drama. In this the film reminded me of Eric Rohmer's L'Anglaise et Le Duc. Although the deglamorization of film was perhaps one of the hallmarks of the New Wave, in historical dramas it's still wonderfully invigorating.
I also liked the sound of the film -- no background music, just voices, creaking floors, rustling clothing, and neighing horses -- another means, I think, of presenting us with the physical experience of a life lived 200 years ago. Indeed, the physical presence Rivette gives to the characters is remarkable.
