Delusions of Grandeur (1971)

In 17th-century Spain, the Minister of Finance tries to dishonor the queen with an overly complex plan.

Director:

Gérard Oury

Writers:

Gérard Oury, Danièle Thompson

Stars:

Louis de Funès, Yves Montand, Alice Sapritch

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Louis de Funès	...	Don Salluste de Bazan
Yves Montand	...	Blaze
Alice Sapritch	...	Dona Juana
Karin Schubert	...	La Reine
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Le Roi
Don Jaime de Mora y Aragón	...	Briego, Un Grand D'Espagne
Eduardo Fajardo	...	Un Grand d'Espagne
Antonio Pica	...	Un Grand d'Espagne
Joaquín Solís	...	Un Grand d'Espagne (as Joachim Solis)
Venantino Venantini	...	Del Basto
Gabriele Tinti	...	Don Cesar
Paul Préboist	...	Le muet
Sal Borgese	...	Le borgne (as Salvatore Borgese)
Astrid Frank	...	Court lady with infant
Robert Le Béal	...	(as Robert Le Beal)

Storyline

Don Salluste, a petty tyrant in his own home and minister of the King of Spain, falls from grace. Wanting revenge, he tries to compromize the Queen with his valet Blaze, introduced as his cousin. But poor Blaze gets stuck with a rather repulsive duenna, who is madly in love with him and very keen on getting her way. This wild comedy takes off at a dashing pace set by the De Funes, Montand and Sapritch trio.

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | time bomb | reference to diego velazquez | 17th century | tax collector | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | History

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The costumes are partly inspired by the painting Las Meninas by Diego Velasquez.

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Connections

Featured in Montand à la rencontre de Pagnol (1986)

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Soundtracks

Flamenco Blaze
Written and Performed by Michel Polnareff

User Reviews

dumber and dumber

Another one of those 4 euro VHS specials from the dusty bin, but one I was looking forward to seeing. I thought it was pleasantly passable and will watch it again. Highlights: Defunes is funny as always, squeaking and quacking like a broken duck call. To quote from one of the earlier films "Il m'epate!" he's astonishing in being able to deliver so much physical comedy. Bouncing around like a beach ball, puffed up like a banty rooster, barely able to keep his giant ego intact while being chased by peasants with pitchforks or trying to escape a bedroom peccadillo. And I love his mugging - especially the greedy glitter in his squinty eyes.

Yves Montand is surprisingly funny. The final scene where he and Defunes are stuck on the windlass as human donkeys in some nameless North African desert is hilarious. But all in all I think Bourvil did this kind of role better. Montand is suave and dumb, while Bourvil is dumb yet impossibly suave, and has a touch of human kindness. I do like Montand as Papet in the Florette films, and even more so with a cigarette hanging from his lips in Wages of Fear. I like him here, too, but he does suave and sinister best.

All in all, entertaining. But I'll watch the Corniaud several times before I watch this again.

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont [France]

Country:

France Spain Italy West Germany

Language:

French German

Release Date:

13 December 1971 (France)

Also Known As:

Delusions of Grandeur

Filming Locations:

Palace of Charles V, The Alhambra, Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

FRF20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont International, Mars Film, Coral Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1