Armand
images. costumes. acting. music. extraordinary show, Baroque explosion. and little more. because the force of Magimel to create a splendid Louis XIV is central clue. the king is not only a character but an extraordinary scene. because, out of accuracy of facts, the spirit of a past page is all- mighty. colors, intrigues, map of a war. and many seductive nuances of a metamorphose. nothing else. only a form of joy without precise definition. because , like each good films, it is a mixture between fable, parable and fairy tale. great difference - the shadows as bones of light of power conquest. art - only instrument. the best. or only step for a not ending dance.
mcv-3
le roi danse feels like a french response to the excellent film "amadeus." a beautiful costume film with sumptuous scenes of dance and song, it takes its liberties with historical accuracy. we never get too deep into the characters louis xiv, lully or moliere, but with hints of obsessions (homosexual or otherwise) here and there, we understand them all well enough. if you're looking for something entertaining this film will undoubtedly please, though it won't make you think too hard. many of the reactions viewers have are probably quite visceral -- though the film talks about the loftiness of dance, it deals with the most basic of human motivations and feelings, of jealousy, lust, desire, horror even. there are a few wince-worthy moments (not for the squeamish), two specifically seem to book-end the film. they're not explicit, just painful, so the squeamish should be okay once these moments pass. le roi danse is not a terribly deep movie, but there's enough there to feel compelled by the characters, thus this is still compelling and astoundingly beautiful. on top of the great visuals and direction, excellent acting by magimel, terral and karyo all.
bmart
I like this movie very much, for the very good music ( Jean-Baptist Lully) the reconstitution of the Louis XIV century and the very good acting of all the actors.This movie is like an historic movie because the king Louis XIV was a art lovers and it is the time of the theater time of the french guy Moliere.
kmk-3
What a relief to see a film about the 17th century that does not feature Gerard Depardieu! Wonderful fashion detailing and locations support a serious history lesson on how music and theater were key to the success of Louis XIV. One of the best exemplars of how young men measure themselves by their physical abilities, the film provides a unique timeline for the long reign of Louis. He grows from an unsure child into a confident (well, yes, arrogant) man -- and partly this is accomplished through his passionate involvement in music and dance. Think of the foolish Emperor in "Amadeus," telling Mozart there are "too many notes," and then see this depiction of a king who actually understands and appreciates music. Yes, of course, peasants were mistreated and millions starved, but we don't see that part of 17th century France. That is another story, another film. This one is stunningly beautiful; like great art, some of these images may never fade from your mind's eye.
AD
