Le Roi danse

Plot

Lully (Boris Terral) starts to gain the favour of the 14-year-old King Louis in 1653 by giving him specially designed shoes for Ballet de la Nuit. His subsequent rise draws hostility from the old cadres of the court, particularly the royal composer Cambert (Johan Leysen). However, following Cardinal Mazarin's death, Louis (Benoît Magimel) installs himself in full power as the king in 1661 and he is now at stake with the religious establishment created and controlled by his mother Anne of Austria (Colette Emmanuelle) at the Palais-Royal. On the other hand, Lully's animosity with Cambert comes to a novel dimension after Cambert's mistress Madeleine Lambert (Cécile Bois), the daughter of Michel Lambert, marries Lully in 1662. Lully and another Versailles favourite Molière (Tchéky Karyo) are keen to further disarm the old court but they get to understand their limits when conflict becomes more manifest at events such as staging (and consequent ban) of Tartuffe in 1664. Meanwhile, the passing years bring an end to Lully's position as the king's dance teacher and choreographer and he also has to face the emotional tensions growing with his wife's niece Julie (Claire Keim), which will culminate at the gala of Cambert's Pomone in 1671.

Cast

Production

The film was shot on location at Versailles, as well as in other locations in France, Germany and Belgium. Sets for the film were built at MMC Studios in Cologne.