Obelix is a mighty Gaul warrior, fat and gluttonous. Study
In 1959, two important, fateful events for France took place. In January, Charles de Gaulle took office as head of the republic. In October of the same year, Pilot magazine published the first comic book about Asterix and Obelix. Cheerful friends, the Gauls, are the same age as the Fifth Republic, which began with the adoption of de Gaulle’s new constitution, which is still in force to this day. And it’s impossible to immediately answer who is in to a greater extent can be considered a symbol of modern France. Moreover, now Asterix and Obelix are definitely much more famous than Big Charles.
Any Frenchman will immediately tell you that Asterix is a cunning Gallic warrior who lived in an unnamed village somewhere in Brittany during the time of Caesar.
His small homeland, surrounded by a palisade, remains the only settlement in Gaul not conquered by the Romans. And all thanks to the magical potion of the druid Panoramix, which temporarily gives the drinker incredible invulnerability physical strength, agility and speed. Asterix's best friend is the giant Obelix, his noticeable lack of intelligence is compensated by the fact that he has constant superpowers of the Druid's potion - he fell into a cauldron with the elixir as a child, and now it is not necessary for him to cook. Both friends, in the company of the Dogmatix dog, fight the Roman occupiers, help other tribes in other areas and generally make history, easily meeting with real-life characters and participating in real-life events.
Trailer for the cartoon “Asterix. Land of the Gods"
The Gallic leader Vitastatis, who is worn on a shield as a sign of honor and is afraid of his wife, also wanders from book to book; the mediocre bard Conservatorix, who gets beaten all the time, the loser pirates, the unfortunate Roman centurion and a bunch of other characters. The French love these heroes more than Americans love Mickey Mouse, and they respect and rank higher than the same people in the USA - their Superman. Probably because the graphic novels, cartoons and films of the Gallic franchise are still about the modern world with its stereotypes and absurdity, which in the ancient Roman setting only becomes funnier, like the recognizable images of friends, neighbors and news heroes. In any case, many French people mispronounce the word “asterisk”, which denotes the typographic symbol “asterisk” (“*”), and they are not the only ones who have doubts. 33 books, four feature films and 9 cartoons have been translated into dozens of languages. Or rather, there are already 10 cartoons - the released film “Asterix. Land of the Gods" should develop expansion - it was released in the format of 3D computer animation.
Asterix and Obelix were never afraid of the reproaches of opportunism, they - eternal contemporaries. And the fact that the Gallic saga started simultaneously with de Gaulle’s presidential term does not seem like a mere coincidence against this background.
Asterix was created by comics artist Albert Uderzo and editor Rene Goscinny, who met in 1951. The acquaintance was followed by friendship and co-authorship - the duo worked for Belgian Publishing House World Press. For Belgium and France, the comic book genre was not new - the brave journalist Tenten became cult character even before the war. In the 50s, Uderzo and Goscinny came up with such heroes as Jean Pistol, Luke Junior and Oompa-pa Redskin - stories about the latter were even published for some time in the weekly Tintin.
Rene Goscinny (left) and Albert Uderzo at work
They set themselves an ambitious task: to compete with Marvel and DC Comics products on the local market. The difficulty, however, was that the traditions of comics in Europe and the United States were different, and the Americans were in an advantageous position. Stories about Superman and Batman were published in inexpensive pamphlets, published regularly, they were essentially an endless series. Europeans preferred to publish complete, voluminous (46-48 pages) stories in albums with good paper and high-quality printing, possibly with a hard cover. Such an album was more expensive, and its production cycle lasted more than a year, but readers treated it more respectfully - as if they were normal literature. Comics magazines either published "teasers", like the aforementioned Tintin, or were published irregularly, like "Pilot", where Asterix debuted.
It was not easy to outdo the Americans in this situation - they needed exceptional material, better even than the Belgian Tintin, which General de Gaulle jokingly called his only competitor. Uderzo and Goscinny treated all their characters with the same love, responsibility and enthusiasm. But in the end Asterix shot. The artist subsequently admitted that he did not understand why this happened. He himself believes that the secret lies in the history of the weak defeating the strong. Which is close to everyone, because, according to him, there is always someone stronger than us: the government, the police, the tax office...
Although, perhaps, Uderzo and Goscinny simply created the kind of hero that the nation and the era demanded.
Cover of the first graphic novel "Asterix of Gaul"
There would be no happiness, but misfortune would help. You have to imagine what France was like in the 1950s. After World War II, the country's economy was destroyed. By 1959, its foundation was built anew and in a new way - it showed incredible growth, but its way of life was changing dramatically. At the same time, a permanent political crisis reigned in the country, society was pathologically tense - some were afraid of the communists, others of the American imperialists, and still others of de Gaulle and his ambitions. Everyone hated Nazi henchmen and traitors. The hunt for collaborators went on as frantically as the mythologization of the Resistance. In addition, overseas colonies rebelled, French soldiers died in Indochina and Algeria - and it was absolutely unclear in the name of what. In a word, France, in the past - one of the world's greatest empires, was at a loss - it was no longer possible to behave in the old way, and it was not clear how to live in a new way.
The culture required a hero who would be one for everyone, and in whom everyone could find a positive role model.
And Asterix, or rather, all his fellow countrymen at once, met the criteria. To begin with, he is a Gaul, that is, for modern man, an almost mythical creature. At the same time, the very word “Gaul” for a Frenchman of the 19th-20th centuries had a heroic, sublimely romantic connotation and appealed to a sense of national pride - much like the word “Rusich”. The attribute of such a legendary “Gaul” was the winged helmet that Asterix wears. This item, of course, is mythical - the real Gauls did not wear such beauty. But this did not affect the recognition and capacity of the symbol. For example, a winged helmet can be seen on packs of Gauloises (“Gallic”) cigarettes, an iconic brand smoked by French infantry during the First World War, between the wars by soil patriots, and during the war by members of the Resistance and American soldiers who saved the French from the invaders. At the same time, this brand became associated with the intellectual and creative elite: Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Pablo Picasso, Jean Baudrillard smoked them. Among the foreigners is Jim Morrison, who came to see Paris in 1971... and was soon buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery. The slogan of the cigarettes is also noteworthy: “Freedom forever.” In a word, the image of a Gaul in the mass consciousness turned out to be quite attractive - a defender of the Motherland and Freedom.
You can identify with Asterix. He doesn't lose his presence of mind and loves to giggle. He is determined and cocky, but not aggressive, proud, but not arrogant; Although he carries a sword, his character rather a shabby bourgeois, a trickster than an epic warrior-noble. Most of all, he loves his village and is ready to fight to the death for it, but he does not call for conquest or revenge, but is ready, if necessary, to come to the rescue of both the Egyptians and Indians. Here, by the way, it is worth noting an important point: when developing the images, Albert Uderzo wanted to portray Asterix as a mighty warrior, a sort of Vercingetorix (the legendary leader of the Gauls), but Rene Goscinny persuaded his friend to make the main character small and frail, and give him a very strong, but stupid Obelix as a companion.
In 1961, the Dargaud publishing house, which bought the bankrupt Pilot, finally released its debut graphic novel, Asterix of Gaul. France did not come out that year - the circulation of the first edition was small. And the canon of the series had yet to be established. In the first film, Asterix looks older than he was portrayed in later books, and Obelix was a minor character altogether, he was relatively thin, had an ax with him, and was not so gluttonous: he shared the baked boar with Asterix and did not complain that he did not have enough (in the later books of the series, one and the whole was not enough for him). However, his image was almost completely formed in the second book right up to the canon of the image, and Asterix was finalized for a long time.
The evolution of Asterix and Obelix
Success came later, several novels later: by the mid-1960s, the Gallic saga in France was already treated the same as in neighboring Britain - The group Beatles. Is it a joke - the first satellite launched by France into Earth orbit was named Asterix. Of course, the “stellar” root of this name played a role here, and naming a vehicle in honor of the hero was not a precedent - for example, half a century before the French space agency, designer Igor Sikorsky named his plane, the first Russian bomber, “Ilya Muromets.” The speed with which the character did this after his appearance is surprising, but that’s not even the main thing. The leaders of the space race, the superpowers of the USSR and the USA, named their devices either generally, abstractly, solemnly (“East”, “Union”, “Aspiration”, “Wanderer”), or used a cosmic-mythological theme (“Venus”, “Saturn”, "Apollo", "Gemini"). The French did not name their first companion after the Gaul, who embarks on the most dangerous adventures in the farthest reaches, constantly thinking about and for home. If this was important to the French of that time...
Uderzo and Goscinny really hit the bull's eye with Asterix and Obelix.
Still from the cartoon "Asterix and Cleopatra", 1968
They started talking about expansion into other countries and other peoples in 1966, when Asterix from Gaul began to be translated into other languages. In 1967, his book was published in English, and a full-length animated film based on his debut novel was released. It was seen abroad - for the popularity of the Gallic saga, the cartoon was more important than popularity at home, since the film adaptation of the debut novel abroad was more noticeable than all the many albums that came out after it. Uderzo and Goscinny themselves, who for some reason were not involved in the creation, did not like it - the co-authors were dissatisfied with the quality of the drawing and the script. They found out about the filming almost by accident - they were shown early developments, moreover, shortly before the premiere, when it was too late to change anything. The creators were offended. Not so much for themselves, for the fact that they were not invited, although the film was made by the film division of their own publishing house - Dargaud. What could have been done well was done poorly. Georges Dargaud made organizational conclusions, and co-authors were involved in all subsequent cartoons. More precisely, the Uderzo-Goscinny tandem directly worked on the film adaptation of the fifth novel in the series “Asterix and Cleopatra” (1965; 1974) and “The 12 Labors of Asterix” (1976) according to the original script.
Uderzo alone became responsible for the Gauls.
In 1977, Rene Goscinny passed away; the heart of the not yet old comics editor stopped at the age of 52. His biography also deserves description. The son of Jewish emigrants from Poland (father - Stanislav Goscinny from Warsaw, mother - Hanna Bereshnyak from the town of Khodorkov, near Zhitomir), was born in Paris. At the age of two he came with his family to Buenos Aires, where he grew up; then lived in New York... How this man created the French national hero? However, in Argentina Goscinny lived in a colony and studied at French school, and he left New York in 1946 as soon as he turned 18 - to serve in the army of his homeland, not the American one. Probably the fact is that in America he did not perceive himself as separate from the French nation- and in exile you feel your homeland more keenly.
The creators of Asterix
The demand for Asterix was such that Uderzo decided to continue alone. He opened his own publishing house, assembled a team of artists with whom he worked all this time, and continued. He single-handedly published ten more. Fans of the series and critics find them not quite real, corresponding to the spirit of the Gallic saga. They consider canonical only books created in collaboration with Rene Goscinny - a total of 24 novels, the last of which, Asterix in Belgium, was being prepared for publication on the day of the writer’s death.
Dargo retained all rights to the canonical novels and quietly republished them until 1990, when Goscinny’s heirs, as well as Albert Uderzo and his family, filed a lawsuit. And another eight years until the court decided to return the rights to the co-authors and members of their families.
Gerard Depardieu took part in all four films about the Gauls, making Obelix actually the main character
After this, Asterix and Obelix had the opportunity to get a third life - this time, in the form of a full-length feature film, which only makes sense to shoot on time-tested material - it was already difficult to get used to the thought of Gerard Depardieu in striped pants. In 1999, the film “Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar” was released, the most expensive French film of the 20th century. The film was directed by French comedy veteran Claude Zidi, based on several comics from the classical period of the Gallic saga, adapted for a film script by Gerard Louzier. Perhaps the load of material was too strong, or maybe this is such a tradition of Asterix and Obelix, but like the first cartoon, the first game picture turned out to be a little crumpled. Zidi, who filmed a talented slapstick show with Pierre Richard and Louis de Funès, translated the conventions of the comic book and the conventions of the cartoon onto the silver screen inelegantly and somehow in a literally heavy manner: later we became convinced that Gerard Depardieu in striped pants is not scary at all, in later films behind him we see Obelix. And in the first - only Gerard Depardieu in striped pants.
But the second film, “Mission Cleopatra,” confirmed that producer Claude Bierry’s idea to film the legacy of Uderzo-Goscinny was not in vain. As well as the fact that even more money was invested in the film than in the first part. For the second film, the veteran Zidi was replaced by the young Alain Chabat, who at that time was practically unknown outside France, especially as an actor. He himself co-produced the film, adapted the script and, in addition, played Julius Caesar himself. This time, in addition to Depardieu, Claude Riche, Monica Bellucci and younger local stars, like Edouard Montooth (Taxi), Jamel Debbouze (Amelie) and others, wore “striped pants” this time. Shaba decided not to push for verisimilitude, and not to hold back with absurdist humor, parody and breaking the fourth wall. An international hit was released that interrupted Hollywood and made the song half-forgotten Ray Charles about good mood sound from every iron. Bright as a candy, the comedy-buffe harmoniously combined the Hollywood arsenal of jokes and references to popular culture, the traditional French comedies of clowning and antics, the universally beautiful plot of Goscinny and the scene of Cleopatra-Bellucci bathing in a bath of milk.
Trailer for the film “Asterix. Mission Cleopatra"
There were other films, but the main thing was the fact that by the beginning of the 21st century, Asterix had finally emerged as an international brand, with enormous value and potentially gigantic profits. All over the world.
Paradox - stories about an independent, self-sufficient and peace-loving Gaul won more countries than Napoleon, the circulation of books is in the millions, and the languages into which they are translated are in the dozens
Gerard Depardieu in striped pants
It is the global popularity of Asterix and Obelix that is explained quite paradoxically. The Gauls in the cycle are friends with their neighbors: Asterix every now and then visits the tribes of the Britons, Goths, Iberians, Belgians (who are easily recognized as modern Englishmen, Germans, Spaniards... Belgians). They are depicted stereotypically and with slight irony, but as equal to the Gauls. In general, this is almost a precedent in the history of Europe, where a neighbor was always considered a natural enemy, and even in Peaceful time they came up with xenophobic nicknames for him. No, Europe is actually united, but main enemy- Rome. Individuals are nothing, and even Caesar himself is not so bad. But overall faceless and soulless Pax Romana wants to assimilate proud barbarians, impose your will and make everything the same - the same as in Rome. Of course, modern France has more in common with Roman civilization than with Gaul. But historical truth has never been the series' strong point, and, of course, it's not the Italians he's referring to. Since the 1960s, the world has taken on new contours, and globalization and the Pax Americana have become a threat to identity. It was not only the French who experienced these problems, and so globalization made the anti-globalist Asterix a global brand. In Western journalism, the image of “Asterix syndrome” even appeared - it denotes the inherent distrust of the French towards the entire Anglo-Saxon culture, right down to the language.
Now the Gallic friends are experiencing a new birth - the cartoon “Asterix. Land of the Gods" was filmed using 3D computer animation
And here you can have fun with a rhetorical question - has Asterix sold out, has he followed global trends? After all, millions of fans around the world love the cunning Gauls warm and lamp, in as a last resort- if one of them was played by Depardieu. And then bam - and a cartoon, but not the kind we are used to in classic films, but just the kind that we are tired of - they recently began to be churned out one after another and just in America... The theme of the new film gives a special piquancy to the situation . Caesar, recognizing the powerlessness of the army in conquering the Gallic village, decides to subjugate it culturally, and builds a real Roman city in the area - checkmate, barbarians! So how do one fit with the other?
Teaser trailer for the cartoon “Asterix. Land of the Gods"
And it’s very simple - since there is Asterix syndrome, and in this film it is obviously present in all its glory, it means that its spirit has been preserved. French cheeses they wrapped it in tracing paper, then in polyethylene, and now biodegradable plastic has appeared. Has this spoiled the cheeses, the recipes of which have not changed for centuries? Hardly. In addition, Asterix’s task is not to defeat Caesar - but simply not to give up. For this, all means are good, and any ideology is nothing compared to real deeds.
Plan:
- Introduction
- 1 Comics
- 2 Movies
- 2.1 Animated
- 2.2 Gaming
Notes
Introduction
Asterix(fr. Astérix le Gaulois) - a fictional Gaul, the hero of a number of European comics, eight cartoons and three comedy feature films included in the series “Asterix and Obelix” (French. Astérix et Obelix). In these works, Asterix and his best friend Obelix, using a magic potion brewed by the druid Panoramix, fight the Romans led by Caesar, who invaded Gaul, and the heroes have to travel across different countries and regions, both European (Britain, Spain, Italy) and more exotic (Egypt, America, India).
33 major books and comic collections have now been translated into more than 100 different languages and dialects. Asterix is popular with the public in the majority European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia. The secret of Asterix's popularity is that this image meets the requirements of the audience of different ages And different nationalities: Visual gags are intended to amuse children, while jokes based on puns (such as the names of the main characters) and parody of modern times are intended for adults.
Asterix is a funny distortion of the word “asterisk” in the Celtic manner (cf. Vercingetorix). The first Asterix comic created French artist Albert Uderzo and writer Rene Goscinny, appeared in the magazine “Pilot” in 1959. Asterix’s friend Obelix and the dog Idefix also appeared there. In 1961, the first collection of comic books about Asterix, Asterix of Gaul, was published.
In the movies, the role of Asterix was played by Christian Clavier (in the films “Asterix and Obelix against Caesar” and “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra”) and Clovis Corniac (“Asterix on Olympic Games»).
1. Comics
Comics 1 through 24, as well as 32 and 34, were published by Gossini and Uderzo. Comics 25 through 31, and 33 were created by Uderzo. The years of the comics' original release in France are indicated.
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1. Asterix from Gaul
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1961 fr. Astérix le Gaulois, English Asterix the Gaul 2. Golden Sickle
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1962 fr. La Serpe d'or, English Asterix and the Golden Sickle 3. Asterix and the Goths
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1963 fr. Astérix et les Goths, English Asterix and the Goths 4. Asterix Gladiator
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1964 fr. Asterix gladiateur, English Asterix the Gladiator 5. Run through Gaul
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1965 fr. Le Tour de Gaule d'Asterix, English Asterix and the Banquet 6. Asterix and Cleopatra
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1965 fr. Astérix et Cléopâtre, English Asterix and Cleopatra 7. Fight of the leaders
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1966 fr. Le Combat des chefs, English Asterix and the Big Fight 8. Asterix in Britain
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1966 fr. Astérix chez les Bretons, English Asterix in Britain 9. Asterix and the Normans
, Dargaud, Paris, October 1966 fr. Astérix et les Normands, English Asterix and the Normans 10. Asterix Legionnaire
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1967 fr. Astérix legionnaire, English Asterix the Legionary 11. Arven shield
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1968 fr. Le Bouclier arverne, English Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield
12. Asterix at the Olympic Games
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1968 fr. Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques, English Asterix at the Olympic Games 13. Asterix and the cauldron
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1969 fr. Astérix et le chaudron, English Asterix and the Cauldron 14. Asterix in Spain
, Dargaud, Paris, October 1969 fr. Astérix en Hispanie, English Asterix in Spain 15. Discord
, Dargaud, Paris, April 1970 fr. La Zizanie, English Asterix and the Roman Agent 16. Asterix in Switzerland
, Dargaud, Paris, October 1970 fr. Astérix chez les Helvètes, English Asterix in Switzerland 17. Abode of the Gods
, Dargaud, Paris, October 1971 fr. Le Domaine des dieux, English The Mansions of the Gods |
18. Laurel wreath of Caesar
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1972 fr. Les Lauriers de César, English Asterix and the Laurel Wreath 19. Predictor
, Dargaud, Paris, October 1972 fr. Le Devin, English Asterix and the Soothsayer 20. Asterix in Corsica
, Dargaud, Paris, April 1973 fr. Astérix en Corse, English Asterix in Corsica 21. Gift for Caesar
fr. Le Cadeau de César, English Asterix and Caesar's Gift 22. Great Voyage
, Dargaud, Paris, July 1974 fr. La Grande Traversee, English Asterix and the Great Crossing
23. Obelix and company
, Dargaud, Paris, April 1976 fr. Obelix et Compagnie, English Obelix and Co. 24. Asterix in Belgium
, Dargaud, Paris, January 1979 fr. Astérix chez les Belges, English Asterix in Belgium 25. Big moat
, Albert René, Paris, April 1980 fr. Le Grand Fosse, English Asterix and the Great Divide 26. Asterix and Black Gold
, Albert René, Paris, October 1981 fr. L"Odyssee d"Asterix, English Asterix and the Black Gold 27. Son of Asterix
, Albert René, Paris, October 1983 fr. Le Fils d'Asterix, English Asterix and Son 28. Asterix and the magic carpet
, Albert René, Paris, October 1987 fr. Astérix chez Rahàzade, English Asterix and the Magic Carpet 29. Rose and sword
, Albert René, Paris, October 1991 fr. La Rose et le Glaive, English Asterix and the Secret Weapon 30. Obelix's Galley
, Albert René, Paris, July 1996 fr. La Galère d'Obelix, English Asterix and Obelix All at Sea 31. Asterix and the Actress
, Albert René, Paris, March 2001 fr. Astérix et Latraviata, English Asterix and the Actress 32. Asterix returns to school
, Albert René, Paris, August 2003 fr. Astérix et la Rentrée gauloise
, English Asterix and the Class Act 33. The sky is falling on their heads
, Albert René, Paris, October 2005 fr. Le ciel lui tombe sur la tête
, English Asterix and the Falling Sky 34. Birthday of Asterix and Obelix. golden book
, Albert René, Paris, October 2009 fr. L"Anniversaire d"Asterix et Obélix - Le Livre d"or
, English Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book
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Comic 12 labors of Asterix is an adaptation of the cartoon. It was released in 1976, making it the 23rd in the comic book series. Asterix. However, the comic is not considered canon in the series, and is rarely reprinted. Only English translators published it in Asterix Annual 1980.
In 2007, Albert René published a 60-page comic entitled Asterix and his friends(fr. Astérix et ses Amis). There were many written in the comic short stories. This was a tribute to Albert Uderzo on his 80th birthday, from 34 famous European comics artists. The comic has been translated into 9 languages, but it has not yet been translated into Russian.
2. Movies
2.1. Animated
- "Asterix from Gaul" (Asterix le Gaulois, 1967)
- "Asterix and Cleopatra" (Asterix et Cléopâtre, 1968)
- “The Twelve Labors of Asterix” (Les Douze Travaux d’Astérix, 1976)
- "Asterix against Caesar" (Asterix et la Surprise de César, 1985)
- "Asterix in Britain" (Asterix chez les Bretons, 1986)
- "Asterix's Great Fight" (Asterix et le Coup du Menhir, 1989)
- "Asterix Conquers America" (Asterix et les Indiens, 1994)
- "Asterix and the Vikings" (Asterix et les Vikings, 2006)
2.2. Gaming
In the series of feature films, the role of Obelix is played by Gerard Depardieu. The role of Asterix in the first two films was played by Christian Clavier, in the third - Clovis Cornac.
A series of French cartoons telling about the adventures of Asterix and Obelix acquired world fame back in the 60s. XX century In 2002, Alain Chabat directed the comedy film “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” based on the animated series, the actors of which were loved by many viewers. What did the French director end up with?
Brief plot and creators of the film
Alain Chabat is a French actor and director. Not only was he involved in the production, but he also played the role of Caesar in the film “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.” The actors in the project were mainly invited comedy role. The only exception was Monica Bellucci, who got the role of Cleopatra.
The main characters of the whole action are two Gauls named Obelix and Asterix. They live in a small village in France, which the Romans cannot conquer. The thing is that the residents of this place regularly drink the potion, so they are distinguished by their heroic strength.
At the same time, in Egypt, the young and inexperienced architect Numbernabis is instructed by Cleopatra herself to build a palace in just three months. Realizing that the construction will be sabotaged by serious enemies, including Julius Caesar himself, Numbernabis decides to call the heroes Obelix and Asterix to Alexandria to help out a little. From this moment on, the active development of screen action begins, which is constantly accompanied by comical situations.
"Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra": actors. K. Clavier and his hero Asterix
Clavier is a legendary French comedian who has been acting in films since 1975. Christian gained popularity in the 90s, after he played leading roles in the comedies “Operation Stew”, “Aliens”, “Between an Angel and a Demon”, and See also Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.
Actors Christian Clavier and Gerard Depardieu in the film portrayed invincible Gaul friends who went to the rescue of Numbernabis in Egypt. On camera, the two celebrities worked harmoniously, because before that Clavier and Depardieu had experience filming together in the comedy “Between an Angel and a Demon.”
If we talk about the hero of Christian Clavier, then Asterix is very smart and agile. He knows how to use not only strength to solve problems, but also his thinking abilities. However, Asterix has one weak spot - without the Druid's potion, he becomes weak and helpless. And then he needs the help of his restless friend Obelix.
“Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra”: actors, photos. Hero J. Depardieu
Obelix is a Gaul from a small village who, as a child, fell into a vat of potion, after which he gained unprecedented strength. Unlike other Gauls, Obelix does not need to constantly drink the Druid's brew to demonstrate his physical abilities. But the problem is that Obelix is a little stupid and simple-minded; without the direction and tips of his friend Asterix, he is not able to act effectively.
This is the kind of hero Gerard Depardieu happened to play in Alain Chabat’s film. The main actors of the film “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” (Gerard and Christian) differ not only in build, but also in temperament, and this always plays into the hands of comic duets. Subsequently, Depardieu and Clavier appeared on the big screen twice more in the image of a restless Gallic couple.
Gerard Depardieu is also known for his roles in the films “The Count of Monte Cristo”, “Papas” and “The Unlucky Ones”.
Other artists
French actors of local importance were mainly invited to Alain Shabat’s project, so big names The list of actors does not shine.
“Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” aroused public interest primarily because the role of Cleopatra agreed to be played by the modern sex symbol Monica Bellucci (“Dracula”, “The Matrix 2”).
Another main role - the architect Numbernabis - went to the Moroccan Jamel Debbouze. The performer also starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film "Amelie."
The director of the film, Alain Chabat, appeared in the image of Julius Caesar, who made a stupid bet with Cleopatra. Alain also played the role of Napoleon in the American comedy Night at the Museum 2.
The image of the evil architect Goblinus, who out of envy interfered with the construction of the palace, was embodied on the screens by Gerard Darmon. The Gallic druid Panoramix was played by Claude Riche.
In this article you will learn:
Asterix - a courageous Gaul who, together with the residents of his native village and his friends, fought against the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar personally. Hero of cartoons, comics and films.
The exact date of Asterix's birth is shrouded in mystery. What is known for certain is that by 50 BC. he was already a man in the prime of his life, who loved to hunt boars in the nearby forest and periodically fight with Roman legionnaires.
Asterix - the little GaulBy this time, all of Europe and Gaul had submitted to the Roman Empire. Outside the Roman jurisdiction and the power of Caesar, only one village remained, the inhabitants of which took a magic potion that gave superpowers. The Gauls living in this settlement successfully repelled Roman troops and tax collectors. Asterix was especially zealous in this matter, who was always ready to give a thrashing to the next detachment of legionnaires.
Clashes with the Romans
Asterix had to confront Roman troops quite often. Once he even had to go to the enemy’s lair to save the druid Panoramix. To do this, he pretended to be a spy, who was captured by Obelix disguised as a Roman legionnaire.
Having passed the traps and freed his friend and another prisoner, Asterix returned to his native village. The Roman troops were preparing an offensive at this time, and there were no more ingredients for the magic potion. To get them, Asterix and his friends had to go to Panoramix's great-grandfather and solve his riddles.
Returning to the village, which was fighting off the Roman invasion with all its might, Asterix and Obelix drank a new potion, thanks to which a whole army of their doubles appeared. With the help of such an unusual army, the Gauls saved their settlement and remained independent.
Other adventures
Asterix had the opportunity to visit Egypt and participate with his friends in the construction of the Alexandria Palace. The nimble gall has become one of the main characters in the dispute that unfolded between Cleopatra and Caesar. Thanks to the resourcefulness of Asterix, the palace was built on time, which saved the life of the architect Numbernabis and demonstrated to Caesar the greatness of the Egyptian people.
Asterix also managed to take part in the Olympic Games, where he helped defeat another Gaul, Polubvix. Asterix’s ingenuity did not fail this time either. With his help, Caesar realized that Polubvix's rivals were cheating and awarded the victory to Gaul.
Asterix in films Appearance and character
Asterix was short in stature, had a large nose and a bushy mustache. He wore a winged helmet, a black sleeveless vest and red pants.
Asterix is a savvy and courageous Gaul who took on any task without any hesitation. It is not surprising that the most difficult and dangerous missions often had to be carried out by him and Obelix, his great friend in every sense. Asterix acquired his superhuman abilities after taking a magic potion brewed by the druid Panoramix. Without the potion he was no different physical strength and preferred to achieve his goal by cunning.
During his life, Asterix met representatives of different nationalities: the Normans, the ancient Scots, the Picts, and the ancient Germans from the Gothic tribe. Not all meetings ended amicably - they even had to fight with the Normans, the harsh Scandinavian warriors, to save Conservatorix.
In his native France, Asterix gained such popularity that an amusement park for children was named after him. Traces of the brave Gaul can also be found in space. The first French satellite, which was launched in 1965, bore his name. The name Asterix was also given to an asteroid discovered in 1996.
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Asterix is one of the main characters of these adventures. A shrewd and cunning little warrior. All the most dangerous missions are immediately entrusted to him. Asterix receives superhuman strength from a magic potion brewed by the druid Panoramix.
It was not without reason that the authors of the comic called the ancient Gallic superman that way. Beginning its title with a capital letter of the alphabet, “Asterix” is comfortably positioned at the top of comic book catalogues. The name itself is a typographical term “asterisk” that has acquired a Celtic sound – an asterisk in the text (footnote), which is placed to indicate ambiguities. Asterix is short, wears a mustache, a helmet with wings on his head, and a short sword on his belt. He is smart, courageous, and endowed with a good sense of humor.
Obelix – inseparable friend Asterix. It has own business for the delivery of menhirs (large stones). Loves to crack wild boars. I’m always ready to drop everything I’m doing and go with Asterix into the thick of danger - as long as there are plenty of them wild boars, so that they could be eaten, and Roman legionaries, so that they could be properly taught a lesson.
Obelix has enormous power even without a magic potion. It’s just that, as a child, he fell into a large cauldron with this drink, and drank it in abundance. Now the potion is contraindicated for him, which he himself is not too happy about.
Panoramix is a venerable village druid. He collects mistletoe with a golden sickle and brews a magic potion. Specializes in a drug that gives superhuman strength. However, he has other interesting recipes up his sleeve...
Panoramix is trusting and rather careless, which is why he has more than once become the target of attacks and kidnappings of various dark personalities, interested in his magical abilities...
Cacophonix is a poet, musician and performer of his own songs.
essays. In a word - a village bard. Opinions about his musical talents differ. Cacophonix considers himself a genius. Everyone else finds him unbearable. But when Cacofonix is silent, or even better, sleeping or sitting tied up with ropes and gagged, everyone really likes him.