Vatel (2000)

Vatel is in charge of the reception to the king Louis XIV. With the prince's political ambitions at stake, its essential to please him. But when he falls in love with the king's lover, passion and duty seem to contradict each other.

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writers:

Jeanne Labrune, Tom Stoppard (English adaptation)

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	François Vatel
Uma Thurman	...	Anne de Montausier
Tim Roth	...	Marquis de Lauzun
Julian Glover	...	Prince de Condé
Julian Sands	...	Louis XIV
Timothy Spall	...	Gourville
Murray Lachlan Young	...	Philippe d'Orleans, 'Monsieur'
Hywel Bennett	...	Colbert
Richard Griffiths	...	Dr. Bourdelot
Arielle Dombasle	...	Princess de Condé
Marine Delterme	...	Athenaïs de Montespan
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu	...	Duchesse de Longueville
Jérôme Pradon	...	Marquis d'Effiat
Féodor Atkine	...	Alcalet
Nathalie Cerda	...	The Queen Marie-Thérèse

Storyline

In 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly. The prince wants a commission as a general, so the extravagances are to impress the king. In charge of all is the steward, Vatel, a man of honor, talent, and low birth. The prince is craven in his longing for stature: no task is too menial or dishonorable for him to give Vatel. While Vatel tries to sustain dignity, he finds himself attracted to Anne de Montausier, the king's newest mistress. In Vatel, she finds someone who's authentic, living out his principles within the casual cruelties of court politics. Can the two of them escape unscathed?

---

Plot Keywords:

murder | fart | defecation | painful defecation | defecating in public | 

---

Taglines:

Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Films behind the design, trailer [United States] Vatel

Country:

France UK Belgium

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 2000 (France)

Also Known As:

Ватель

Filming Locations:

Château de Chantilly, France

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,136, 25 December 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$49,464, 4 March 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Légende Films, Gaumont, Nomad Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film opened the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

---

Goofs

Effiat quotes Melville's Captain Ahab (Moby Dick) when playing with the whale, but it was another 200 years before Melville wrote Moby Dick.

---

Quotes

François Vatel: Harmony and contrast. All beauty comes from these two things. You see, Colin, few object are beautiful or ugly of themselves. To know that is the beginning of being an artist.

---

Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

---

Soundtracks

La Bourrée
(from "Les Fête d'Hébé")
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Arranged by Ennio Morricone

User Reviews

Contrast of noble status and noble virtues

This film is about a servant of noble values having to prepare an extravagant feast for the King's visit.

Vatel understandably focuses on one single character, Francois Vatel. To me, everything else in the film seems to be subplots or minor characters. Much time is spent on portraying Vatel as a hardworking, bright and noble person. He even knows his subordinates' life history by heart! Vatel's noble virtues contrasts with the corrupted mortals of high social status. The film's dark theme is sometimes overshadowed by the merry atmosphere of the feast. The extravagant sets and amazing costumes are very dazzling. The film is worth the watch just to see the feast scene!