The grandeur of louis xiv on film fiction and film for scholars of. He inherited the throne of france at the early age of five from his estranged parents louis xiii and anne of austria. The kings daughter previously titled the moon and the sun is an upcoming american actionadventure fantasy film directed by sean mcnamara from a screenplay by barry berman and james schamus. Mazarins fiscal advisor, colbert, warns against fouquet, the. Increasingly, rossellini had understood the great task of film as education, but he had been unable to find anyone in the cinema to share his passion. The taking of power by louis xiv also called the rise of louis xiv, is a 1966 french television film by italian film director roberto rossellini. The film revolves around the french king louis xivs rise to power after the death of his powerful advisor, cardinal mazarin.
Case in point, several months ago i saw another of rossellinis biopics from the same period, socrates 1970, and, as i am a classics scholar, i liked. This film was made for french television in the 1960s and was to be accompanied by pierre gouberts louis xiv and twenty million frenchmen, a book that is still available. He talked with such eloquence and passion about film that you could. Theres a crisis not just in film but culture as a whole, he explained. Louis xiv is a great king and that must be seen in his every move, in his every sentence. In 1667, 28yearold allpowerful king of france, louis xiv, decides to build the greatest palace in the world versailles. Documentary documentary films that contain only documentary information historical films which tried to recreate the century of louis xiv exactly as it was.
From 1643 to 1792 it was the stage on which the most glorious period of the french monarchy played out, until the darkest days, at the fall of the bourbon dynasty. The taking of power by louis xiv tv movie 1966 imdb. This is a 5 slide presentation that details the rise of absolute monarchies in 17th century europe. This is the start of the slow agony of the greatest king of france, surrounded by his relatives and doctors. In regal cinematic terms this is more of a companion piece to roberto rossellinis the rise of louis xiv 1966 than a crowdpleaser like the alan bennettscripted the madness of king george. Its important to notice how instructional the film s exposition is to understand the essence of monarchic principles, while at the same time finding an opportunity to improve the madefortv standards to exquisite, then unseen levels of narrative and formal. Early reign after his fathers death his mother, anne of austria, was regent for louis, but the real power was wielded by annes adviser, cardinal mazarin. Louis xiv, having successfully fought a powerful coalition, came to be known as the sun king in the years that followed this war. Among other things, it answers the question of what is. A royal hunt, complete with dogs and deer is striking. The taking of power by louis xiv is easily the bestknown of the long series of educational films which dominated the latter part of rossellinis career. The taking of power by louis xiv 1966 the criterion collection. The birth of louis xiv in 1638 was regarded as a divine miracle, because it came at a much needed and desperate time in france.
To achieve this political autonomy, louis deals with his mother and the court. In seventeenthcentury europe, absolutism was tied to the idea of the divine right of kings. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country in european history. Bill beik emory university emeritus for many years the rise of louis xiv by roberto rossellini 1966 has been a staple for use in courses covering seventeenthcentury france. I suppose if i had a greater interest in the time period or historical characters, i wouldnt have been bored.
View the full biography filmography close complete filmography. With vinciane millereau, samuel theis, jerome pouly, antoine coesens. The rise of louis xiv 1966 this docudrama by roberto rossellini focuses on french king louis xiv jeanmarie patte. Here you can see the list of films divided into several categories. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Here we take a look at five of the best from the past three decades. He was referred to as citizen louis capet during the four months just before he was guillotined. The film revolves around the french king louis xiv s rise to power after the death of his powerful advisor, cardinal mazarin. The presentation includes the rise of louis xiv in france, the rise of peter the great in russia and his program of westernization. In the age of absolutism in europe, louis xivs france. With george blagden, alexander vlahos, tygh runyan, stuart bowman.
For many years the rise of louis xiv by roberto rossellini 1966 has been a staple for use in courses. For many years the rise of louis xiv by roberto rossellini 1966 has been a staple for use in courses covering seventeenthcentury france. Costumes, persons, storyline, places, decorations everything is real and there is no fiction at all. Only the latter, the rise of louis xiv 1966, has received its due acclaim, chiefly because it is one of the few to have been screened theatrically. In 1962, roberto rossellini called a press conference in a bookshop in rome and announced that the cinema was dead.
The film had its world premiere at the 2016 cannes film festival on 19 may 2016. It always struck me as a rather tedious effort to capture the style of the sun kings regime at versailles, and the film or vhs copy was very poor quality. In the power vacuum, the young louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. But drained budget, affairs and political intrigues complicate things. Something i noticed heavily in this film is the constant creaking of the. The grandeur of louis xiv on film fiction and film for. For me it is also very interesting to see how actors try to play louis xiv as it is a very difficult role to play. In the death of louis xiv, writerdirector albert serra shows us that monumental events can be conveyed through the smallest of details. Given the opportunity to turn out a sacha guitrystyle spectacle, director roberto rossellini charts his own neorealist course for the rise of louis xiv. That page was also created in order to show which films are historical and which are fiction. The taking of power by louis xiv 1966 directed by roberto. The taking of power by louis xiv dares to place a largerthanlife figure at the level of mere mortal. At first the images are full of chaos and disorder, people running around. Louis xiv came to the throne in 1643 at the age of four.
Docudrama about the life of louis xiv nicknamed the sun king, the king of france who ran a glamorous court, expanded the borders of france, loved women and parties and built an incredible palace for himself the versailles. With scenes of sex, murder and conspiracy within the opening minutes of episode one, versailles, a new 10part television series that delves into the private lives of. Chief minister of france 16421661 louis xiv becomes king at young age, with mother as regent cardinal mazarin, chief minister after richelieu, provided advice louis raised to be king, taught skills needed from childhood rise of the sun king. France had the support of england and sweden, while the dutch were supported by spain, the holy roman empire and denmark. Nov 29, 2009 versailles helped louis xiv reinforce his absolute power over france and maintain his divine rule. The next days, the king keeps fulfilling his duties and obligations, but his sleep is troubled and he has a serious fever. Lethargic minimalist film about louis xivs rise to power in the mid 17th century. Absolutism is a system in which a ruler holds total power. Versailles helped louis xiv reinforce his absolute power over france and maintain his divine rule. A serious fever erupts, which marks the beginning of the agony of the greatest king of france. If you are reading this you know that rossellini was one of the genuine grand masters of cinema. Joelle laugeois and jeanmarie patte in the taking of power by louis xiv jeanmarie patte and cesar.
Louis xiv, 16381715, king of france 16431715, son and successor of king louis xiii. The rise of louis xiv is a film directed by roberto rossellini with jeanmarie patte, raymond jourdan, jean baptiste colbert, silvagni, year. After going for a walk, louis xiv feels a pain in his leg. Back from hunting, louis xivmagisterially interpreted by new wave icon and honorary palme dor recipient jeanpierre leaudfeels pain in his leg. Set in 1715, it depicts the final days of louis xiv of france.
The death of louis xiv 2016 letterboxd social film. I first caught this film at moma in new york sometime in the 1980s under the title the rise of louis xiv and again at a packed revival house seven or eight years later. It shows in great detail, with particular emphasis on clothes and court rituals, how louis the sun king, following his assumption of power on the death of frances chief. The rise of louis xiv 1966 movie moviefone this docudrama by roberto rossellini focuses on french king louis xiv jeanmarie patte. To achieve this political autonomy, louis deals with his mother and the court nobles, all of whom makes the assumption that mazarins death will give them more power. Nevertheless, while favorable to france, the peace terms were significantly worse than those that had been available in july 1672. Criterion presents roberto rossellinis historical film the taking of power by louis xiv a. The rise of louis xiv was one of several innovative films made for french television by the italian. The background for this chapter of louis xiv ascension from the babying shadows of his advisers and regents was a series of civil wars brought on by a chafing aristocracy. The old king, weakened by illness, but still suspicious and ruthless, learns that a plot is being hatched. During the time of mazarin, there was a revolt led by nobles who were unhappy with the growing power of the monarchy, but the revolt was crushed. A mysterious messenger arrives at king louis xis castle in touraine.
Start studying rise of absolute monarchy in france. Get 50% off hundreds of family movies when you preorder on fandangonow. Yet rossellini, armed with a zoomlens and unpretentious nonactors, slowly casts the sun kings devious use of fashion and favors to centralize power as the equal of the. Jan 1, 1669, louis expand the palace of versailles. Hollandse oorlog, was a conflict that lasted from 1672 to 1678 between the dutch republic and france, each supported by allies. A series of exquisitely composed images, each one lit like an old master painting with the soft glow of candlelight, present us the last days in the life of one of the most powerful monarchs in modern history, louis xiv, the man who was known as the sun king. Serras depiction of the monarchs final days shows a.
And we can add to that list more than 170 motion pictures that have been shot on location here. List of books and articles about louis xiv online research. Rossellini, in obedience to the rules of italian realism, looked for someone who looked like louis xiv as he conceived him to be. With jeanmarie patte, raymond jourdan, cesar silvagni, katharina renn. The taking of power by louis xiv dares to place a largerthanlife figure at the. France under louis xiv the reign of louis xiv has been regarded as the best example of the practice of absolutism in the seventeenth century. Dec 21, 2008 in 1962, roberto rossellini called a press conference in a bookshop in rome and announced that the cinema was dead. Welcome to versailles, the bbcs steamy new period drama set. Due to the kings young age, cardinal mazarin, the chief minister, took control of the government. A full biography of the most renowned and opulent king of france, louis xiv.
Welcome to versailles, the bbcs steamy new period drama. In 1765, upon the death of his father, louis, dauphin of france, he became the new dauphin. The taking of power by louis xiv, also called the rise of louis xiv, is a 1966 french television film by italian film director roberto rossellini. Filmmaking legend roberto rossellini brings his passion for realism and unerring eye for the everyday to this portrait of the early years of the reign of frances sun king, and in the process reinvents the costume drama. The taking of power by louis xiv letterboxd social film.
The film man in the iron mask 1998, directed by randall wallace, focused on the identity of an anonymous masked prisoner who spent decades in the bastille and other french prisons, and his true. The francodutch war, often just the dutch war french. Most of these movies are set during the 17th and 18th centuries when the palace served as the principal residence of the french kings from louis xiv to louis xvi. The image has not been pictureboxed, though has slim black bars on the left and right. A possible substitute is the newer film, vatel, directed by roland joffe 2000. A series of exquisitely composed images, each one lit like an old master painting with the soft glow of candlelight, present us the last days in the life of one of the most powerful monarchs in modern history, louis xiv, the man who. A symbol of frances glory, versailles is probably the most splendid royal palace in europe and is seen as one of the wonders of the world. After the death of cardinal mazarin, young king louis xiv decides to assert his power to control the aristocracy. To achieve this political autonomy, louis deals with his mother and the court nobles, all of whom assumed that mazarins death would give them all. Lionel trilling called him a highly politicised intellectual, but he was also a philosopher of cinema, and certainly his series of didactic reconstructions of history, of which 1966s the rise to. The film, the taking of power by louis xiv 1966, directed by roberto rossellini, shows louiss rise to power after the death of cardinal mazarin.
The rise of louis xiv in its original aspect ratio of about 1. Watch the front row the taking of power by louis xiv the. Louis xiv and his major events timeline timetoast timelines. It is based on the 1997 novel the moon and the sun by vonda n. Louis did not take over the government until mazarins death 1661. Symbol of frances glory, versailles is probably the most splendid royal palace in europe and is seen as one of the wonders of the world. Louis xiv reigned for 72 years, until his death in 1715. Louis xiv, byname louis the great, louis the grand monarch, or the sun king, french louis le grand, louis le grand monarque, or le roi soleil, born september 5, 1638, saintgermainenlaye, francedied september 1, 1715, versailles, france, king of france 16431715 who ruled his country, principally from his great palace at versailles, during one of its most brilliant periods and who. The taking of power by louis xiv 1966 the criterion.
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