Un peuple et son roi

I'm French and I just reread the chronology of the Revolution, so the names and events are pretty fresh in my mind... at least they were until I saw this movie. The main problem is that it doesn't seem able to find its genre and goal. Not focused enough to be family drama, not precise enough to be a documentary, not nervous enough to be an historical action movie, not neutral enough to be a political movie... In short, it never decides what it wants to tell and ends up not telling much. It's a succession of scenes, each quite OK but not making much sense together. The family we follow is a symbol of course, but come on, the same people being present at every single major event and political assembly of the era? Plus several things are shown in a strange way, like Robespierre being a calm and peaceful person? Marat (very well played!) as an actual friend of the people? Danton (not nearly ugly and fat enough) as a sort of enemy? Technically speaking the music sometimes feels off and is too present, and many filming tricks, down to the very font of the title panels, but also the framing and lights, are cheesy and seem to be from the 90's. Showing the Revolution from an ordinary family point of view would have been a very good movie. Seeing it from the kings' office was nice too. Making a documentary about the Convention, yep, it could work. All at once? Sorry but nope. It ends up too messy and confusing to be enjoyable, despite very good actors and pretty decent sets and costumes.

A visual feast, if a little too 'clean', in its production design. As much as I enjoyed the view I was ultimately disappointed by this film. Where's the story to engage me? I tried to let that aspect take a back seat in hope that the directors vision/world view would become clear. It didn't appear. A juxtaposition of beautifully executed scenes (though overlit imo), does not make a gripping film. For the major finance behind this project it feels like a wasted opportunity.

The main purpose of this fresco was to show the French Revolution through the eyes of the people , and to avoid a hollywoodian treatment. It was not the first time the French cinema had attempted such an approach : in 1937, Jean Renoir did it ,in his much-debated "la Marseillaise".

"Un peuple et son roi" is a curate's egg ; its first part does show the people , particularly in the storming of La Bastille ;a decent place is given over to women ,but why not mention the most famous of them all , Olympe de Gouges, who was ignored by the history books for years? Although they chose highly talented actors such as Olivier Gourmet ,it does not always work : one conversation,about domestic and foreign politics circa 1792 does not sound popular at all ; The scenes when Gourmet the glass-blower teaches his job to his apprentice ,is interspersed with scenes of the trial of the king ,(or it is the other way about?) :the connection escapes me,I fear ...

The storming of the Tuileries is a good moment but spoiled by the hackneyed trick of slow motion ....The humiliated king , who takes refuge in "la salle du manège" ,the Assemblée Nationale 's seat , who 's still got his hearty appetite ;the choice of comédien français Laurent Laffite is eminently questionable : louis XVI was an educated clever man,but he was gauche , oafish and not handsome at all ; when he's climbing the steps of the scaffold ,he's told " watch out,it's slippery!"(!) ,but the priest does not utter his famous " Heaven awaits on you,son of Saint-Louis". Marie-Antoinette ,in her short appearances ,is exactly how she is shown in old history books : aloof, haughty ; the popular Revolution was fueled by this hatred for the queen :why does one never feel it ,particularly in the women's march on Versailles in October 1789 which is almost treated as a musical whereas the words were harsh :" bread or the queen's guts !"

Unfortunately , and more and more as the film progresses, the people takes a back seat to the historic figures :Robespierre,Barnave , Saint-Just ,Marat,et al ; in Louis XVI's nightmare , even the former kings are summoned (they look like Madame Tussaud's wax models : the Sun King, Henri IV and Louis XI).

And the final scene should have seen through the populace's eyes , not on the scaffold ! It succumbs to the initial vice :hollywoodian to the core ; there are French movies about Joan of Arc where the stake is shown from a distance ,or not at all.

All in all, it's a decent show, but it falls short of its goal.

It has some good ingredients. Francoise and the Uncle are well-played and the centrality of the women and their dynamism is exciting. However, it never develops into a story. It is a montage of names and impressions. The scenes in the parliament are the least interesting. Where was the fear and tension these huge events must have generated? Yes, there are some shouts from the gallery, and a couple of representatives try to inject some emotion into proceedings but it all feels confected.

I'm curious about the dark powder that Francoise was using to wash (?) her hair with in the closing scenes. Does anyone know about this powder and this practice? Maybe it was equivalent to the dry shampoo used today to absorb oil?

Two hours for showing four years of the french bloody Revolution, Pierre Schoeller had to make some difficult choices : he decided to show the little people from the streets (having a stone in the belly) meeting and fighting the rich political figures (having how many roasts in the belly?). And most important, he shows women strongly speaking in assemblies. The casting is astounding, all the actors play with high energy and are possessed (Denis Lavant as Marat of course, and also Adèle Haenel unforgettable, and Laurent Lafitte as Louis XVI is imposing). The cinematography and editing are virtuoso (destruction of tower letting people from the streets having sun light, massacre of the Champ de Mars, execution of Louis XVI, ...). The original soundtrack is also attractive. I read in papers "Un Peuple et son Roi" is a failure, it's wrong, it's awful good, all the ending is gripping. Bravo, I wish success.