Louis, enfant roi

Very interesting film about the minority of Louis XIV and the regency taken by his mother Anne d'Autriche and her first minister Cardinal Mazarin. It's taken place during the Fronde. It shows the different intrigues, the tensions, the assuming of the power by the duke d'Orléans (uncle of Louis XIV) and his disgrace with the taking of Paris by the royal army. It's a very complex history. Probably to complex to use for a film.

Very interesting film about the minority of Louis XIV and the regency taken by his mother Anne d'Autriche and her first minister Cardinal Mazarin. It's taken place during the Fronde. It shows the different intrigues, the tensions, the assuming of the power by the duke d'Orléans (uncle of Louis XIV) and his disgrace with the taking of Paris by the royal army. It's a very complex history. Probably to complex to use for a film.

French movies of the Renaissance use to be very intelligent. But this one is very hard to understand. I think viewers got to have an University degree in history to really understand. I'm familiar with French history, I'm a french guy from Canada, and I love this kind of historical movie. But this one is always too much: too much references, too much talking and the viewers don't have time to think or to breathe. It's sad, because visually, this is a very good quality film.

Impressive, in this case, represents the fair word for define this large, luxurious, rich drama. A huge fresco about the beginning of the reign of Louis XIV as a caredul puzzle. Costumes, cinematography, performances- Maxie Mansion gives a great job - plots and tension, mix of reality and dream - each perfect. A film about profound themes. In wise manner used. A film about a special form of education and about the loneliness of the power. All ifascinating scene by scene.

Not many films get made about Louis XIV, even in France. One reason is that this is a confusing period of French history. Yet, Louis, enfant roi does a good job in trying to introduce it to us.

The king is a child of ten. The nobility and the populace are rebelling. The Queen mother is a Spaniard (played by a Spanish actress with the necessary accent) and France is at war with Spain. The prime minister Cardinal Mazarin is an Italian (played by an Italian actor, etc.) The king's relatives are demanding a share of power while behaving like a pillaging army. Amorality abounds and no one can be trusted. Louis XIV learned how to rule in this atmosphere.

As the film progresses, we see the young king turn into an adolescent leading troops in the field and learn his craft. He loved his mother and trusted Mazarin, but nobody else, not even his brother. As a child he learned to suspect everyone and this was how he ruled.

This is a good film with the budget to support it, unlike Rossellini's La Prise du Pouvoir. It just requires a little knowledge to understand.