Death of Louis XIV, The
Death of Louis XIV, The
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Synopsis

Versailles, August 1715. Back from hunting, Louis XIV - magisterially interpreted by New Wave icon and honorary Palme d’Or recipient (Jean-Pierre Léaud) - feels pain in his leg. A serious fever erupts, which marks the beginning of the agony of the greatest King of France. Surrounded by a horde of doctors and his closest counselors who come in turns at his bedside sensing the impending power vacuum, the Sun King struggles to run the country from his bed.

Albert Serra---France---2016---118 mins.

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  • Currently 2/5 Stars.
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  | JohnH#1

I predict that, despite its high critical ratings, Death of Louis XIV will not generate much box office. Not only is the subject painful, It's glacially slow, takes place in a dark room, dialog is sparse and there's practically no background music (which is actually a blessing). And sorry Facets, I didn't see hordes of counselors approaching him while, the succession crisis and regency are only hinted at when Louis dispenses a few words of advice to the five year old dauphin. What I did see was arguments about treatment over the king's suffering body between a compassionate doctor who was at his wit's end, three academicians whose practice was limited to the lecture theatre and a shameless quack. I will say this in the film's favor: We tend to caste our gaze on Versailles when Louis XIV was the Sun King, while ignoring the fact that for the last thirty years or so of his reign, after he hooked up with Madame de Maintenon, Versailles was a pretty staid place. Death of Louis XIV does do us a favor by reminding us of that.

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