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The Death of Louis XIV

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This article is about the film. For the historical event, see Louis XIV § Health and death.

The Death of Louis XIV
An royal elderly man dressed in faint blue pyjamas with a large grey wig lies on his carmine-colored bed, looking to his right.
Film poster
FrenchLa Mort de Louis XIV
Directed byAlbert Serra
Written by
  • Albert Serra
  • Thierry Lounas
Produced byThierry Lounas
StarringJean-Pierre Léaud
CinematographyJonathan Ricquebourg
Edited by
  • Ariadna Ribas
  • Artur Tort
  • Albert Serra
Music byMarc Verdaguer
Production
companies
  • Capricci Films
  • Rosa Filmes
  • Bobi Lux
  • Andergraun Films
Distributed byCapricci Films (France)
Release dates
  • 19 May 2016 (2016-05-19) (Cannes)
  • 2 November 2016 (2016-11-02) (France)
Running time
115 minutes
Countries
  • France
  • Portugal
  • Spain
LanguageFrench
Box office$209,715[1]

The Death of Louis XIV (French: La Mort de Louis XIV) is a 2016 historical drama film directed by Albert Serra and starring Jean-Pierre Léaud. Set in 1715, it depicts the final days of Louis XIV of France. The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2016.[2] It was released in France on 2 November 2016.[3]

Plot

After returning from the hunt on August 9, 1715, Louis XIV lies in his bed. Due to his deteriorating cardiovascular health, an embolism in his leg becomes gangrenous. From that point on, he becomes increasingly frail and unable to perform his royal duties. Although he temporarily rallies, he relapses rapidly and acquires a fever due to the infection. Word of the King's worsening medical condition spreads through the Court at Versailles, from which his chief physician forbids further travel. The Royal Family tries to censor the flow of information about the King's deterioration. Four doctors from the University of Paris medical faculty are then summoned to provide diagnosis and care for the ailing monarch, but gangrene is only diagnosed when his chief doctor, Georges Mareschal, makes an incision in his diseased leg and diagnoses it from his subsequent analysis of the wound site. Although Mareschal advises amputation, the King refuses to contemplate it and starts preparation for his imminent death instead. He receives the sacraments of confession and the rite of final unction, while he also organises a subsequent regency for his young grandson, the future King Louis XV with the assistance of his mistress Madame Maintenon and Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine, one of his older illegitimate children, who is appointed regent until the five year old Louis XV reaches maturity. Francois de Neufville, duc de Villeroy is appointed Louis XV's legal guardian until his maturity, after which the dying monarch provides his successor with advice about how to rule wisely after his death. Several quacks attempt to 'heal' the King, but he is now succumbing rapidly as his gangrene worsens. On August 30, he lapses into a coma, before his eventual death on September 1, 1715, at 8.15 am. After a post-mortem medical examination, his heart and intestines are separated from the rest of his body as his earlier wishes dictated. On September 9, 1715, after lying in state, his body is interred within the Basilica of Saint-Denis[4]

Cast

Production

Director Albert Serra and producer Thierry Lounas wrote the screenplay for the film.[5] Jean-Pierre Léaud played the lead role.[5] For the film, Albert Serra did not have any rehearsals.[6] Filming took place in the surroundings of the Château de Hautefort in 2015.[5] It took 15 days to shoot the film in total.[6]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2016.[2] It was released in France on 2 November 2016.[3]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Death of Louis XIV will frustrate viewers out of sync with its deliberate pace, but those with the patience to settle in may be rewarded with a thoughtful, finely detailed drama."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Boyd van Hoeij of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "[Albert Serra's] most accessible work to date."[9] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote, "As for Mr. Serra, while he often enjoys playing the foppish provocateur in his interviews, his film is sober, meticulous and entirely convincing in its depiction of period and mortality."[10] Ben Kenigsberg of Variety wrote, "As minimalist as Serra's films can be, they are rarely boring, and often given to wry wit."[11]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, writing, "At 73, Jean-Pierre Léaud gives what could be the performance of his career as Louis XIV."[12] Allan Hunter of Screen International also commented that "It is easily the actor's best role and most noteworthy performance in some time."[13]

Accolades

Award Year of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Prix Jean Vigo 2016 Best Film The Death of Louis XIV Won [14]
Jerusalem Film Festival 2016 Wilf Family Foundation Award for Best International Film The Death of Louis XIV Won [15]
Louis Delluc Prize 2016 Best Film The Death of Louis XIV Nominated [16]
Lumières Award 2017 Best Film The Death of Louis XIV Nominated [17][18]
Best Director Albert Serra Nominated
Best Actor Jean-Pierre Léaud Won
Best Cinematography Jonathan Ricquebourg Won

References

  1. ^ "The Death of Louis XIV". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Louis XIV's death throes by Albert Serra". Cannes Film Festival. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "La Mort de Louis XIV". AlloCiné. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ^ "The Death of Louis XIV | Press Kit" (PDF). enfilade18thcfiles.wordpress.com. June 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Lemercier, Fabien (15 October 2015). "Albert Serra shooting Last Days of Louis XIV". Cineuropa. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b Kasman, Daniel (10 September 2016). "Discussing "The Death of Louis XIV" with Albert Serra". Mubi. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  7. ^ "The Death of Louis XIV (La mort de Louis XIV)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. ^ "The Death of Louis XIV". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  9. ^ Hoeij, Boyd van (19 May 2016). "'The Death of Louis XIV' ('La Mort de Louis XIV'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. ^ Kenny, Glenn (30 March 2017). "Review: 'The Death of Louis XIV' Has a Riveting Performance at Its Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (20 June 2016). "Film Review: 'The Death of Louis XIV'". Variety. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  12. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (12 July 2017). "The Death of Louis XIV review – a quietly amazing portrait of the end of life". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  13. ^ Hunter, Allan (19 May 2016). "'The Death Of Louis XIV': Review". Screen International. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  14. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (6 June 2016). "The Jean Vigo Award goes to Last Days of Louis XIV". Cineuropa. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  15. ^ Chung, Andrea (18 July 2016). "The Jerusalem Film Festival comes to an end". Cineuropa. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  16. ^ Richford, Rhonda (14 December 2016). "Stephane Brize's 'A Woman's Life' Takes France's Louis Delluc Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  17. ^ Richford, Rhoanda (16 December 2016). "France's Lumiere Awards Nominations Unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  18. ^ Richford, Rhoanda (30 January 2017). "Lumiere Awards: 'Elle,' 'My Life as a Zucchini' Take Top Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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