- Actors: Charles Berling, Jean Rochefort, Fanny Ardant, Judith Godrèche, Bernard Giraudeau
- Directors: Patrice Leconte
- Writers: Eric Vicaut, Michel Fessler, Rémi Waterhouse
- Producers: Frédéric Brillion, Gilles Legrand, Philippe Carcassonne
- Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Import
- Language: French
- Subtitles: English
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Studio: Miramax Lionsgate
- Release Date: May 17 2011
- Run Time: 102 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B004XVMCOO
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Product Description
From Amazon.com
In Patrice Leconte's cool, precise moral comedy Ridicule, the corrupt, sycophantic court of King Louis XVI is invaded by a provincial nobleman, Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling), who with the help of his own sharp tongue, the coaching of the retired courtier Marquis de Bellegarde (Jean Rochefort), and the love of the Marquis's beautiful, nature-loving daughter (Judith Godrèche) hopes to win funds for his project to drain the fever-infested swamps of his homeland. But first he has to get by the cunning, sexually manipulative Madame de Blayac (Fanny Ardant, imperious and superb) and her waspish, priestly ally, the Abbot de Vilecourt (Bernard Giraudeau).
As shaped by screenwriter Rémi Waterhouse, Ridicule is a kind of dashing verbal swashbuckler in which duels aren't fought with swords, but with the equally fatal weapon of words--rapier wit in its most literal sense. Laconte directs with an appealing elegance and a scathing sobriety as he unfolds a fable that could just as easily take place in a Wall Street boardroom, a Park Avenue executive suite, or a Hollywood commissary. --Dave Kehr
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Off With Their Heads!,
By
This review is from: Ridicule (DVD)
It's the waning days of the old regime in France. A conscientious but impoverished nobleman from the south travels to Versailles to petition the royal government for funds to drain his swamps so that his tenants can be spared periodic outbreaks of disease. Instead of finding the sympathetic ears he expected, he finds a government nearing bankruptcy, a well-intentioned but befuddled king who is surrounded by a bureaucracy trying to temper the king's naive generosity and stave off the final collapse, and an aristocracy that has descended into a depraved comedy of manners. All substantive thought at court has been replaced by endless games of witticisms, whereby a person's social standing and political access are functions of mastering the art of the putdown . . . preferrably in as ascerbic a manner as possible.To everyone's surprise -- including his own -- our hero turns out to be quite good at the art of malicious wit. First trying to use his new-found talent to speed up his campaign to drain his swamps, he soon succumbs to the appeal of the game for the game's sake. A series of events eventually snaps him back to reality, and therein lies the plot of the piece. This is a supremely engaging costume piece. The cast is superb, the settings and costumes dead-on accurate, the dialog entertaining and sophisticated. In the end, it's really a gorgeously-filmed morality play about the triumph of conscience over wealth, power, and hollow social graces. The only real fault with the movie from a historical perspective is that it portrays Louis XVI as the affable nitwit of popular legend instead of the serious monarch overwhelmed by ultimately uncontrollable events that he really was. This movie is so good at drawing you in that you soon cease to notice you're reading subtitles (at least if you don't speak fluent French). Although the plot hinges on the most delicate subtleties of 18th-century court French, the story telegraphs through with searing clarity. And it's a story for all times, all places, and all tongues.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overrated not funny,
By Tom Munro "tomfrombrunswick" (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ridicule [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The plot of the film is simple. A provincial nobleman wants to clear some swamps to help the poor old peasants of his area. The existence of the swamps leads to disease and a shortage of arable land. Attempts are made to get money from the government but to no avail. Our intrepid hero decides that he will join the court of Louis the XVI to try to swing some influence. We are told that the key to advancing at court is the ability to have a malicous wit. To be able to ridicule others in an amusing way. Our hero is said to have this ability so he decides to cash in on it. At a number of dinners he lashes out at the others and his reputation grows. In the end he is not able to gain the influence necessary. However this does not matter as the French Revolution intervenes and instead of having a corrupt government of thickie royalists the people are willing to put a bit of money into swamp drainage. The main problem with the film is that it isn't very funny and none of the charcters have good lines. The wit is of the plodding kind " I say that is a portrait of the Duke on his horse but it is hard to say who of the two is smarter (guffaw guffaw)" being but one of the more shinning examples. If we leave aside that rather major hick up the film is a reasonable satire of the stupidity of a feudal court based on patronage. The acting and style, it being a French film are all strong. Not the worst film ever made but if you take the title seriously you will be disappointed.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dramatic Invective,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ridicule (DVD)
Patrice Leconte's film on the pageantries and sophistries of King Louis XVI's Court, a place where there are many words flying about yet little substance in governance. The protagonist is Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling), a low-ranked nobleman who seeks a royal grant to drain the swamps plaguing his region. He is, unfortunately, a new-comer to the King's court and needs to be properly introduced to the King. He receives help from the Marquis de Bellegarde (Jean Rochefor) and his loving daughter (Judith Godrèche.) Malavoy also comes under the machinations of Madame de Blayac (Fanny Ardant) to befriend the King. As he navigates through the King's court, Malavoy is subjected to the invectives of sycophantic nobles who seek to exploit the King for their own petty needs. With little wealth and a low title, Malavoy soon realizes that the only weapon he has is his wit (esprit.) As he come closer to appealing to the King, he maneuvers his wit and invective as a musketeer wields his rapier. The script is excellent and the story is filled with the art of invective and wit. A perfect example of some of the witty encounters in the film is when the King asks Malavoy why he has made jokes of only the aristocracy but not of him? With a reserved smile Malavoy replies, "The King is not a subject your Majesty!"
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