Le Roi danse
2000 History / Drama / Music
Credits
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Summary
Whilst conducting a Te Deum
in honour of his king, Louis XIV of France, the great musician
Jean-Baptiste Lully pierces his toe with his stick. The wound
soon turns gangrenous but Lully refuses to have his leg
amputated. As he lies on his deathbed, he recalls happier times
and the path that led an unknown Italian musician to become one of
France’s most revered composers. In 1653, Lully earned the favour
of the adolescent king Louis by writing a ballet for him. When he
assumed the reins of power in 1661, the king repaid Lully by making him
his personal composer, commissioning him to write works that will magnify
his greatness. Through his alliance with the playwright
Molière, Lully would create French opera and achieve lasting
fame. But both his personal and professional life were afflicted
by turbulence, self-doubt and scandal...
Review
Anyone who appreciated Gérard Corbiau’s previous musical
extravaganzas Le Maître de musique
(1991) and Farinelli (1994) will enjoy his
latest overblown music fest, Le Roi
danse, a film that purports to tells the true story of the most
important French composer of the Baroque era, Jean-Baptise Lully.
Purports is the mot juste because Corbiau is clearly far more
interested in conjuring up grand mouth-watering spectacle than in
pursuing historical detail. The film is pretty, and to some extent
informative, but as an accurate account of the life of Lully it
falls somewhat short of the mark.Le Roi danse is not, and cannot be judged as, a serious piece of drama. Corbiau’s intention, presumably, is to convey something of the artificiality and splendour of court life at the time of the young Louis XIV, whilst celebrating the wondrous musical creations of Lully. As in the previous Farinelli, the film is marred by a painfully trite screenplay and mediocre performances, but it partly makes up for this with its stunning visual presentation - its ornate sets and costumes, and some sumptuous cinematography. Alas, beneath the surface gloss, there is next to no substance, and whilst it may awaken an interest in a great composer, the film sells its subject somewhat short. © James Travers 2009 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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