Les rois maudits

The 1972 version of Les Rois Maudits still stands up among the best TV series ever produced. In France and Canada, it is mentioned in the same breath as the Prisoner!

The adaptation is remarkable. The cast is absolutely perfect. The producers picked theater actors and have chosen to simplify the sets as much as possible in order to bring even more punch to an already powerful text.

It's a shame the DVD box set doesn't come with English subtitles. It would certainly help English-speaking viewers understand the whole story, even though people can get a clear idea as to what is going on.

Les Rois Maudits is a must in any DVD collection!

Right up there with Elizabeth R, Henry the eight six wives and the Mahabharata ! It is acting at it's best and even forty years later, we are still trying to create tv series able to compete with this one ! Buy it, rent it or steal it, but see it !!! 10/10

The great pity of this work is that it's only available in France in a version without sub-titles. I had the great pleasure of seeing the whole series on British television in the early '70s, and the recommendation is not to see it at all unless you can own a copy. It is worth learning French for. The giant figure of Jean Piat presides over the action of the story and his political ambition provides the motive power for it. It is not his character, Robert D'Artois, though, who supplies the pretext. That falls to the character of Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, whose order King Philip the Fair persecutes with the object of obtaining its wealth and replenish the depleted coffers of the French Crown. The old man is burned at the stake on the Isle St. Louis and with his dying breath curses the French King to the thirteenth generation of his line. The story progresses rapidly through treachery, adultery, painful public executions, strangulation, poisoning, sorcery, apostasy, and more and culminates at the first action of the Hundred Years War between England and France. All is put in train (with a smile and a gallic shrug) by Robert D'Artois. Jean Piat's performance is pivotal but by no means the only good thing in this medieval trinket-box. Louis Seigner and Helene Duc as Tolomei the Banker and Mahaut D'Artois respectively, give performances ,parts of which I remember vividly even now after thirty years. For those who cannot get hold of this series, read the book!

Ok, ok, I know its a bit old, it looks more like theater than a real movie but, man, what an incredible performance from the actors ! I've rarely seen such acting. And the story was so great, I mean, I've read the book 5 times (and its about 1620 pages long) and the TV series are as great as the book. A must

(Please forgive my spelling mistakes, English is only my second language ;)

It is a shame that this TV series is only available in French . I hope someone or some organisation produce a version with English subtitles in the near future.

I recall seeing a lot of this series on BBC 2 (with their own subtitles I presume) when it was shown here in Britain. In fact I must have only seen it once and yet there is much I recall from just one viewing. The opening tableaux scene where all the actors are shown standing on steps so that it is like a 'recall' about what happened in the previous episode. Also I recall my interest watching the 'English' segment set in the court of Edward II and his murder in a dungeon (I was only in my mid teens then), the strangulation of the French Queen and the rich (and rude) language used by Robert of Artois ! I admit I haven't read the books but this series is on par with 'I Claudius' in quality !