Set in the flamboyant court of Louis XVI, this is a sharp, satirical depiction of the excesses of court life. A life where men can be driven to suicide by the one thing that must be avoided at all costs: being the object of ridicule. Gregoire Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling), descendant of an old provincial family which has recently fallen on harsh times, approaches the court to appeal for funding for a draining project to save his province. Gregoire is unschooled in the practice of coiffing, face powder, false modesty and acerbic remarks, however he quickly wizens up to court protocol when he is befriended by the Marquis de Bellegarde (Jean Rochefort), an old doctor familiar in the ways of the court. The Marquis believes that Gregoire has the required amount of wit to infiltrate the royal court and make a successful appeal, now all Gregoire has to do is steer clear of humiliation and love as he prepares for an audience with the king. Cast includes Fanny Ardant, Charles Berling, Bernard Giraudeau, Judith Godreche and Jean Rochefort. In French with English subtitles.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
309861
Language
French
Audience classification
MA
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)