Product Details

• Actors: Benoît Magimel, Boris Terral, Tchéky Karyo, Colette Emmanuelle, Cécile Bois
• Directors: Gérard Corbiau
• Format: Import, Widescreen, Color, Subtitled
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BU4RQ2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,079 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Corbiau repeats the Farinelli formula, artistic rivalry and social private drama expressed in dazzling, sometimes excessively lavish baroque scenery, music and costume, but this time in its ultimate setting: Versailles. There are two protagonists - first the title character, Louis XIV, the French sun-king who has two passions, establishing absolute rule over the realm -after decades of religious/civil wars- by divine right and artistic brilliancy as a dancer (like Nero wrote and performed musical poetry), and starts asserting himself against the entourage of his Medici mother, the regent during his minority, by building his palace complex and launching a 'fitting' new, mainly musical display of baroque show. Secondly the musical genius Gianbattista Lulli ('Jean-Baptiste') Lully, a Florentine upstart of unbridled ambition, quickly gains the king's absolute trust, despite the nationalist and aristocratic opposition to a low-born Italian, and thus turns the normally socially humble post of court composer into a 'ministerial portfolio of culture' of Cabinet rank, complete with a monopoly which kills of his artistic rivals in operatic theater. The script also weaves a complex web of court scheming for individual power and social interests, and even a sadistic but accidental murder on a young valet, producing a sensuous and sumptuous drama too complex for this format, ending in a freakish but fatal accident.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a couple of problems, June 11, 2006

By 

Theodorus (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Le Roi Danse (Original French Version with English Subtitles) (DVD)

In order to understand the movie, one has to be quite familiar with French history, especially during the reign of Louis XIV, including the background information on Lully, Robert Cambert, Moliere, Prince de Conti; otherwise, the plot and conversation could be very confusing. One of my biggest problems with this movie is that many characters were cast TOO OLD! Cambert (1628-1677) was only 4 years older than Lully (1632-1687), and yet the actor who played Cambert looks old enough to be the father of Boris Terral (who played Lully) and actually was already 50 year old when the film was shot! The actor who played "Prince de Conti" was already 56 while his character should be a twentyish or thirtyish young man! Same with Moliere. Couldn't the director find some younger French-speaking acotrs?
But if you like French Baroque music and court dance, then this movie might be for you.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A film of Art, as beautiful as paintings in the museum, March 27, 2006

By 

Miho Hirono "ex-musician" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Le Roi Danse (Original French Version with English Subtitles) (DVD)

It is pity, many fine French films are out of order. You may get from used seller though.
I have seen some paintings or drawings Louis XIV danses ballet. The Ballet scenes in this film reminded me those pictures.
Most of music is by Lully, A father of French Opera, that is gourgeous. I had never listen to Lully's music before but they interest me then I bought a CD.

The story is about a life of Jean-Baptist Lully with Louis XIV and Moliere,and basically followed with the fact in the history. Lully composes music for his master, Louis XIV who is a lack of power in early period. Louis danses with Lully's music. Louis takes a charge and power as a king after the death of the premier Mazarin. His idea conflicts often with his mother and Church. Louis uses power of art as the power of France. Louis orders Moliere and Lully work together and they build up comedy-ballet genre and releases some masterpieces such as "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme". Louis is unpreased Lully's bisexuality and some scandals with young boys but also Louis admits Lully's outstanding music talent. Because Lully hasn't been satisfied with working under, he is feeling, Moliere, then finally he excludes him from the court. Lully got old, injures his leg during the concert. He refuses to have his leg cut then dies. Louis didn't show up dying Lully.

In this film, the story put focus on Lully's feeling love to his master which is never completed. It looks like he admires his master so deeply that his feeling becomes love. And the master, Louis XIV acted by Benoit Magimel, is detached as a king. "I don't have any friends" says Louis XIV.
According to some history articles, Lully is a composer who gets the most from his master. And Lully is considered Louis's personal friend. So I guess their relationship was not like in the film.

The most facinating aspects in the film is, I think, music, ballet scene, custume, and arts. Each cut is as beautiful as a paintings in the museum.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite Music, Dancing and Costumes, June 2, 2009

By 

Barry J. James (Honolulu, Hawaii United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Le Roi Danse (Original French Version with English Subtitles) (DVD)

I purchased this DVD after seeing a preview featured on another DVD. I was fascinated by the quality of the production and the shear extravagance of the sets and costumes. How much of the story is factual I don't know; probably very little. How much interaction there was between Louis XIV, Lully and Molière can only be guessed. However, treated as fiction this film is a wondrous tale of how a working-class musician (Lully) gets involved with the King of France and will do almost anything to keep in his good graces

Having visited the Palace of Versailles myself, I was a little disappointed that the only views of the completed building are of the Galerie des Glaces as the principal performers walk into the credits at the very end of the movie.