It could be the title of a La Fontaine fable ;the writer does appear in the movie ,which makes sense ,for he was one of Fouquet's protégés ,as many artists were ,those artists who would work for the king (Levau,LeNôtre, Lebrun ,Molière,Vatel ) after their patron's fall.
Nicolas Fouquet had acquired enormous wealth,and when the duke of La Vieuville died , he became Superintendent of Finances in 1653;at that time of regency ,the master of the kingdom was Cardinal De Mazarin ,a sick old man .King Louis the Fourteenth was still working behind the scenes ,but his trust in Colbert grew .A feud began between him and Fouquet ,the "squirrel," a clever but extravagant man who had a castle in Vaux built ,and Colbert ,"the snake" ,who claimed that not one-half of the taxes reached the king and accused his rival of embezzlement.
A muffled feud , with spies (mostly women) in the pay of both enemies ;Lorant Deutsch is to be praised for his portrayal of a man whose desire of magnificence (and munificence) knew no bounds ;during the eclipse -a superb scene ,which climaxes this first part- whereas they talk about the end of the world,nay ,Apocalypse,he shows no sign of fear ;so does the king ,who knows the sun cannot disappear .A charmer ,a bon vivant , Fouquet 's got many friends and lovers .
On the contrary , Colbert (played with an admirable restraint by Thierry Frémont) ,is as cold as "the North" ,as Madame De Sévigné (also appearing in the telefilm ,for she was helped by Fouquet after her husband's death -and ruin) would call him.He looks more like a spider spinning its web than a snake ;he hints at Fouquet's past ,at his maladministrations of the state's funds ;and little by little ,attracting the Cardinal,after the king ,on his side .He's proud to be a clothier's son and mainly,he is careful with money .
The future Sun King may still be working in the wings,but his attitude during the eclipse and his first council leaves no doubt about it :he will rule alone when Mazarin passes away.
Fouquet's fall has begun at the end of the first episode; the queen mother ,who is not part of the council anymore ,tells him so :"make sure your feast is not too sumptuous ".
And in the twilight glow of the last scene ,Madame De Sévigné 's misgiving is palpable.
Nicolas Fouquet had acquired enormous wealth,and when the duke of La Vieuville died , he became Superintendent of Finances in 1653;at that time of regency ,the master of the kingdom was Cardinal De Mazarin ,a sick old man .King Louis the Fourteenth was still working behind the scenes ,but his trust in Colbert grew .A feud began between him and Fouquet ,the "squirrel," a clever but extravagant man who had a castle in Vaux built ,and Colbert ,"the snake" ,who claimed that not one-half of the taxes reached the king and accused his rival of embezzlement.
A muffled feud , with spies (mostly women) in the pay of both enemies ;Lorant Deutsch is to be praised for his portrayal of a man whose desire of magnificence (and munificence) knew no bounds ;during the eclipse -a superb scene ,which climaxes this first part- whereas they talk about the end of the world,nay ,Apocalypse,he shows no sign of fear ;so does the king ,who knows the sun cannot disappear .A charmer ,a bon vivant , Fouquet 's got many friends and lovers .
On the contrary , Colbert (played with an admirable restraint by Thierry Frémont) ,is as cold as "the North" ,as Madame De Sévigné (also appearing in the telefilm ,for she was helped by Fouquet after her husband's death -and ruin) would call him.He looks more like a spider spinning its web than a snake ;he hints at Fouquet's past ,at his maladministrations of the state's funds ;and little by little ,attracting the Cardinal,after the king ,on his side .He's proud to be a clothier's son and mainly,he is careful with money .
The future Sun King may still be working in the wings,but his attitude during the eclipse and his first council leaves no doubt about it :he will rule alone when Mazarin passes away.
Fouquet's fall has begun at the end of the first episode; the queen mother ,who is not part of the council anymore ,tells him so :"make sure your feast is not too sumptuous ".
And in the twilight glow of the last scene ,Madame De Sévigné 's misgiving is palpable.