The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966)

 Roberto Rossellini's "The Taking of Power by Louis XIV"


I genuinely think that Roberto Rossellini's 1966 French TV film "The Taking of Power by Louis XIV" is one of the most clinical depictions of monarchy I've ever seen. By 'clinical,' I mean that Rossellini creates a very dry sentimentality that is neither exuberant of the titular leader and neither condemning. Even the way in which characters speak is very clinical, beyond a few. 

The film centers on Louis XIV, King of France, after the death of his most powerful advisor, Cardinal Mazarin. Throughout the film, Louis deals with his mother and court nobles, all assuming that Mazarin's death will give them greater power. However, Louis plans on consolidating power through the monarchy.

Because the film is so 'clinical,' as I said, there is little affection or intrigued derived from viewing it. There is a certain biographical quality to the film that certainly allows for some understanding of the context of Louis's power consolidation. So, if that is what the filmmakers were going for, it succeeded. After all, it was a TV movie. So, the amount of biographical quality perhaps limited Rossellini's ability to add a certain flair.



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