The Taking of Power by Louis XIV

The Taking of Power by Louis XIV

Directed by Roberto Rossellini • 1966 • France
Starring Jean-Marie Patte, Raymond Jourdan

Filmmaking legend Roberto Rossellini brings his passion for realism and unerring eye for the everyday to this portrait of the early years of the reign of France’s “Sun King,” and in the process reinvents the costume drama. The death of chief minister Cardinal Mazarin, the construction of the palace at Versailles, the extravagant meals of the royal court: all are recounted with the same meticulous quotidian detail that Rossellini brought to his contemporary portraits of postwar Italy. THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV dares to place a larger-than-life figure at the level of mere mortal.

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The Taking of Power by Louis XIV
  • The Taking of Power by Louis XIV
    1:34:32
    The Taking of Power by Louis XIV

    The Taking of Power by Louis XIV

    Directed by Roberto Rossellini • 1966 • France
    Starring Jean-Marie Patte, Raymond Jourdan

    Filmmaking legend Roberto Rossellini brings his passion for realism and unerring eye for the everyday to this portrait of the early years of the reign of France’s “Sun King,” and in the process reinvents th...

Extras

  • Beyond the Costume Picture: THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV
    13:32
    Beyond the Costume Picture: THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV

    Beyond the Costume Picture: THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV

    With THE TAKING OF POWER BY LOUIS XIV, neorealist pioneer Roberto Rossellini created the first of the fascinating, often overlooked historical dramas that would define his late career—and reinvented the costume picture in the process. In this edition of Observations on Film Art, Professor Kristin...

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