Biyografi Dünyası
Jappeloup

Jappeloup

Movie · 2013 · 14 people

Christian Duguay directed the French-Canadian biographical drama Jappeloup in 2013; it was shown in Quebec as Jappeloup: l'étoffe d'un champion. Inspired by real events, it tells of the rider Pierre Durand and his horse Jappeloup de Luze and what they achieved together. Guillaume Canet wrote the screenplay and also plays the lead. The film runs about 125 minutes and is known in Germany as Jappeloup – Eine Legende, in Spain as Jappeloup: de padre a hijo and in Russia as Zhapplu (also Bolshiye skachki).

The story follows Durand's path from an ordinary show jumper to the 1988 Seoul Olympic title. Jappeloup is a horse first judged too small to succeed in top competition. The real horse won many titles in the 1980s, including French, European and Olympic championships. Besides Guillaume Canet, the cast includes Marina Hands, Daniel Auteuil, Lou de Laâge, Jean Rochefort, Tchéky Karyo, Jacques Higelin, Frédéric Épaud, Arnaud Henriet, Luc Bernard and Jean-Gabriel Nordmann.

In January 2014 the film earned Lou de Laâge a nomination for Most Promising Actress at the 39th César Awards. Acajou Films produced it.

DirectorChristian Duguay
Production companyAcajou Films

Reactions

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Jacques Higelin Jacques Higelin Film actor · died at 77 Tchéky Karyo Tchéky Karyo Actor · died at 72 Arnaud Henriet Daniel Auteuil Donald Sutherland Frédéric Épaud Guillaume Canet Lou de Laâge Luc Bernard Marie Bunel Marina Hands Noah Huntley Jean-Gabriel Nordmann Jean Rochefort

More from this director

Through different eyes

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

A story inspired by real events about a rider and his horse, and the path of a horse dismissed as too small towards the biggest competitions. It carries a nice message about perseverance for children who love animals and sport. But it runs past two hours, so younger kids may lose patience. It looks like a good family pick from around middle-school age.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Guillaume Canet writing the script and playing the lead suggests a strong sense of ownership, but such projects often fall into a familiar trap: the writer looking too fondly on his own character. The sports-biography formula is well known: the underdog hero, the obstacles and the big goal. Jappeloup's chance to rise above it lies in treating the horse as a second protagonist, and the real test is building the bond between horse and rider through film language rather than dialogue. A running time past two hours risks stretching the genre's familiar beats more than needed. Lou de Laâge's César nomination may be a sign that the supporting roles were given care too.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

The film turns the story of a rider and his horse in 1980s France into a narrative of national success, with the 1988 Seoul Olympics as its peak. Sports biographies often foreground individual determination, which can leave the family, the labour and the institutions behind a success in the shade. That it was shown in Spain under a title meaning from father to son hints that the story can also be read as a family legacy. Because it is inspired by real events, it is worth keeping in mind the gap between dramatic arrangement and the actual record.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

Reviews (0)

Log in Log in to write a review.

Comments