Old Goriot
A poor but ambitious young man arrives in Paris and settles down in the boarding house run by Madame Vauquer. He soon gets to know the guests: Victorine Taillefer, a young lady her rich father refuses to recognize; Horace Bianchon, a medical student; Monsieur Vautrin, a mysterious and disconcerting man; Goriot, a rich merchant who spent all his fortune for his daughters, Delphine and Anastasie, to make a rich marriage. Eugène becomes friends with Goriot but while the former, thanks to his cousin Madame de Beauséant, is introduced in high society, Goriot, both exploited and scoffed at by his daughters, continues his descent into hell.
Insights
Plot Summary
Set in Paris during the July Monarchy, the story follows Eugène de Rastignac, a young law student from a modest background who enters Parisian high society. He becomes entangled in the complex lives of its inhabitants, particularly the impoverished former silk merchant Old Goriot, whose daughters are his primary obsession. Rastignac navigates a world of ambition, love, and moral compromise as he tries to secure his future.
Critical Reception
This adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's classic novel was met with a generally positive reception, praised for its faithful depiction of the source material and its atmospheric portrayal of 19th-century Parisian society. Performances were noted for their depth, though some critics found the pacing to be slow.
What Reviewers Say
- Praised for its fidelity to Balzac's novel.
- The performances are generally well-regarded.
- The film successfully captures the atmosphere of 19th-century Paris.
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Fun Fact
The film is an adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's 1835 novel of the same name, which is part of his larger work 'La Comédie humaine'.
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