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THIS grand period drama which has as its backdrop the bitter religious fanaticism that divided 16th century France, seems determined to evoke the Hobbesian vision of life as 'nasty, brutish and short'. There is a tangible air of corruption surrounding the various intriguing factions whose machinations are exposed both during and after the vicious St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the portrayal of which rivals any of the more grotesque scenes from 'Schindler's List'. It is difficult to find any inherent affinity for either faction as the frailties and dubious morality of their respective champions are garishly laid bare. King Charles IX (Jean-Hugues Anglade) is revealed as a weak, foolish incompetent and his brothers as posturing, grasping adventurers. Henri de Navarre (Daniel Auteuil) forgoes any initial sympathy by his vacillation and his readiness to betray his loyal allies. Whereas Marguerite de Valois (Isabelle Adjani) and her young Huguenot lover (Vincent Perez) may inject an attractive physical counterpoint to the prevailing gloom and the gleeful portrayal of the ageing she-devil Catherine de Medici (Virna Lisi) as another Livia (shades of Sian Phillips in 'I, Claudius') may make Margaret Thatcher look positively coquettish, this is not a film in which the Nietzchean 'superman' gets a look-in. By the end one is left with the distinct impression that the real tragedy lies in the fact that France had to wait another 200 years before Revolution (and Madame Guillotine) would free her of this debauched and parasitic 'nobility'. GD Dated: 23 October 1995 |
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