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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Ridicule" combines a wickedly funny script, a superb cast and sumptuous period detail to deliver a fine example of French costume drama. The basic story concerns an earnest but impoverished nobleman from a remote province who travels to Versailles to seek the support of King Louis XVI in draining the disease-ridden swamps which are killing his peasants. This honest man quickly finds that the main way of gaining the King's ear is not the justice of his cause, but the sharpness of his verbal repartee in the vipers' nest of courtiers who control access to the monarch.
The English translator deserves honourable mention for conveying much of the flavour of the barbed wit at the corrupt court. An exact translation is of course impossible, especially in the nuances of humour, and reading subtitles further reduces the impact of the verbal jousting. But these handicaps hardly reduce the viewer's enjoyment of scenes such as the one where a very worldly young cleric is prepared to argue glibly either for or against the existence of God.
There are further pleasures in numerous period touches such as the dedicated teacher of the deaf whose pupils demonstrate sign language in front of the bored nobility. (Is this the earliest portrayal of sign language in film?) The teacher's devotion and the pupils' evident intelligence count for nothing in the eyes of this idle elite. When the teacher explains that two of his pupils are engaged, one horrified nobleman exclaims: "You defile the sacrament of holy matrimony, sir!" Evidently the disabled lack basic human rights, especially if they might propagate more of their kind.
Of course, we know that this regime is on the verge of being overthrown in the 1789 revolution.At the end of the film two of the characters are shown exiled in England after that cataclysm has destroyed their life at court.
The writer of "Ridicule" reportedly based his screenplay on original documents describing life at Versailles. You will certainly feel transported to another era for two hours, while not regretting its demise.
The English translator deserves honourable mention for conveying much of the flavour of the barbed wit at the corrupt court. An exact translation is of course impossible, especially in the nuances of humour, and reading subtitles further reduces the impact of the verbal jousting. But these handicaps hardly reduce the viewer's enjoyment of scenes such as the one where a very worldly young cleric is prepared to argue glibly either for or against the existence of God.
There are further pleasures in numerous period touches such as the dedicated teacher of the deaf whose pupils demonstrate sign language in front of the bored nobility. (Is this the earliest portrayal of sign language in film?) The teacher's devotion and the pupils' evident intelligence count for nothing in the eyes of this idle elite. When the teacher explains that two of his pupils are engaged, one horrified nobleman exclaims: "You defile the sacrament of holy matrimony, sir!" Evidently the disabled lack basic human rights, especially if they might propagate more of their kind.
Of course, we know that this regime is on the verge of being overthrown in the 1789 revolution.At the end of the film two of the characters are shown exiled in England after that cataclysm has destroyed their life at court.
The writer of "Ridicule" reportedly based his screenplay on original documents describing life at Versailles. You will certainly feel transported to another era for two hours, while not regretting its demise.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ridicule has always been one of the greatest fears of the french, and it still is, not surprisingly for a somewhat perfectionist and critical culture. This film shows the clash of the real world of the engineer Ponceludon who actually wants to make a difference to the miserable lives of those affected by malaria in the marshes where he lives, and thinks he knows how, and the absurd, narcissistic and hermetic world of the court of Louis XIV. Ponceludon has to turn his natural intelligence to the main attribute need in the court in order to make any progress: rapier-sharp, quick and if possibly cruel, wit. He does this, and manages to maintain his integrity and win in love as well. Berling along with Fanny Ardant, Jean Rochefort and Bernard Giraudeau produce engaging performances within a well-constructed plot and extravagant imagery of Versailles.
19 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Sometimes with movie distribution, as with humour, timing is everything. Patrice Leconte's Ridicule is a long way from the best work from almost anyone involved, yet still proved a major arthouse success outside France, picking up Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Film, winning a BAFTA as well as a nomination for the Palme D'Or at Cannes and winning four Cesars, including Best Film and Best Director, as well as another eight nominations in France itself. All of which leaves you with the suspicion that it couldn't have been up against much competition that year. It's certainly not a bad film, but at times it's almost as slight as its subject - the rules of wit and ridicule at the Court of Versailles under King Louis XVI, where you live or die by the readiness of your wit and where a single misstep can cast you into oblivion.
Charles Berling is the impoverished minor aristocrat seeking royal patronage for a drainage project to stop his peasants from dropping like flies only to discover that the only way to get near to the King in a world where wit opens any door is to demonstrate a sharper and more malicious tongue than those around him. Tutored in the rules of engagement by Jean Rochefort's friendly courtier and both championed and checked by Fanny Ardant's court predator, he briefly finds himself a sensation in a world where honesty and wit are so rarely combined, only to find himself heading for a fall.
While it's a cut above the usual dry costume drama and passes the time more than pleasantly enough, it never quite escapes the feeling of a safe and predictable morality tale while at times the wit could be sharper and the venom more prominent. There are some fine moments and Ardant gets a great screen entrance, her servants blowing powder over her naked body, but at the end of the day it manages to be a curious mixture of both a mildly satisfying diversion and slightly less than the sum of its parts. Very much like the Court of Versailles itself...
Whereas Miramax's Region 1 DVD is barebones, Second Sight's UK PAL DVD boasts a fine 2.35:1 widescreen transfer as well as a very good 52-minute documentary on the making of the film.
Charles Berling is the impoverished minor aristocrat seeking royal patronage for a drainage project to stop his peasants from dropping like flies only to discover that the only way to get near to the King in a world where wit opens any door is to demonstrate a sharper and more malicious tongue than those around him. Tutored in the rules of engagement by Jean Rochefort's friendly courtier and both championed and checked by Fanny Ardant's court predator, he briefly finds himself a sensation in a world where honesty and wit are so rarely combined, only to find himself heading for a fall.
While it's a cut above the usual dry costume drama and passes the time more than pleasantly enough, it never quite escapes the feeling of a safe and predictable morality tale while at times the wit could be sharper and the venom more prominent. There are some fine moments and Ardant gets a great screen entrance, her servants blowing powder over her naked body, but at the end of the day it manages to be a curious mixture of both a mildly satisfying diversion and slightly less than the sum of its parts. Very much like the Court of Versailles itself...
Whereas Miramax's Region 1 DVD is barebones, Second Sight's UK PAL DVD boasts a fine 2.35:1 widescreen transfer as well as a very good 52-minute documentary on the making of the film.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Marquis De Clatterbang
Such a piercing, hilarious, humane, sharp film. Understand that the gossiping, tetching coterie of Trustafarians in the present mirror the spoiled, lousy Aristocracts of 1789. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Maunefer
The best of French drama ....
An absolute must for any lovers of France or all things French. The story charts the struggle of a good-willing marquess in his quest to reach the King of France, Louis XVI, in... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jimmymanc
bitter
I like the costumes, the music and the play on words of all kinds but still, I feel bitter when I watch this film as nothing much has changed in the way France (and other... Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Charlotte Salomon
Ridicule - sans pareil
This film, beautifully executed, cleverly weaves a tale of our most sordid failings and most noble aspirations.... Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2009 by Jimbo
Literate and wicked
Ridicule is a French film which takes place in 1783, a few years before Louis XVI lost the ability to wear a hat; where "... Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2007 by C. O. DeRiemer
C'est Magnifique!
Well, it is.
'Ridicule' is one of those lovely films to be enjoyed again and again. It's amusing, clever, and the period look is ravishing. Read more
'Ridicule' is one of those lovely films to be enjoyed again and again. It's amusing, clever, and the period look is ravishing. Read more
Published on 25 July 2007 by Green Knight
Witty, Sexy, Fun
This is a great film about strange customs and relationships in pre-revolution France, and how a cutting wit was the key to your survival. The film is great fun to watch. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2000
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