The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966)

1661: Cardinal Mazarin dies. In the power vacuum, the young Louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. Mazarin's fiscal advisor, Colbert, warns against Fouquet, the Surintendant... See full summary »

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Philippe Erlanger (scenario), Jean Gruault (adaptation)

Stars:

Jean-Marie Patte, Raymond Jourdan, César Silvagni

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Marie Patte	...	King Louis XIV
Raymond Jourdan	...	Jean Baptiste Colbert
César Silvagni	...	Cardinal Mazarin (as Silvagni)
Katharina Renn	...	Anne d'Autriche
Dominique Vincent	...	Madame Du Plessis
Pierre Barrat	...	Nicolas Fouquet
Fernand Fabre	...	Michel Le Tellier
Françoise Ponty	...	Louise de la Vallière
Joëlle Laugeois	...	Marie-Thérèse
Maurice Barrier	...	D'Artagnan
André Dumas	...	Le Père Joly
François Mirante	...	M. de Brienne
Pierre Spadoni	...	Noni
Roger Guillo	...	L'apothicaire
Louis Raymond	...	Le premier médecin

Storyline

1661: Cardinal Mazarin dies. In the power vacuum, the young Louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. Mazarin's fiscal advisor, Colbert, warns against Fouquet, the Surintendant who's been systematically looting the treasury and wants to be prime minister. Fouquet believes Louis will soon tire of exercizing power; he overplays his hand, offering a bribe to Louis's mistress to be his ally. She reports this to the king who arrests Fouquet. Louis and Colbert design a brilliant strategy to keep merchants making money, nobles in debt, the urban poor working and fed, and peasants untaxed. Years later, in a coda, we see Louis exercising the power of the sun.

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Plot Keywords:

17th century | king of france | looking at oneself in a mirror | prime minister | money | 

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Genres:

Biography | History

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Latin

Release Date:

8 October 1966 (France)

Also Known As:

The Rise of Louis XIV

Filming Locations:

Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Louisiana was named after him.

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Connections

Referenced in My Voyage to Italy (1999)

User Reviews

True historical realism

A short movie that does an excellent job in conveying the gestalt of one of the most important moments in modern (post-renaissance) French history: the events leading up to the building of Versailles. One understands The Sun King in his context: a man whose hold on his crown -- and his life -- was at first shaky at best. Louis is understood in the context of his greater 'family', in particular the unfortunate Stewarts on the other side of La Manche. Not wanting to be subject to the same fate as his uncle, Charles I (who, for those of you who don't know, was overthrown by his Parliament and nobles, and then beheaded by the fanatically Puritan Oliver Cromwell) Louis conceives of Versailles as essentially a pretty prison for the nobility: by mandating their attendance at court they cannot conspire to overthrow him. Moreover, he establishes absurd rituals of etiquette and ludicrous costumes (the male peruke (wig) was introduced at this time) in order keep them bankrupt attempting to stay on top of court fashions.