456 The Taking of Power by Louis XIV

[LQ]

I appreciate your syntax reseach, Jun-Dai! I've never noticed a fundamental difference between "la prise de.." and "la prise du..". If I were to really think about it, I suppose that "la prise du pouvoir" sounds more...contextual, used when certain events in certain countries at certain times have all been previously defined in the discussion. But I might be stretching it.

[cdnchris]

I did a couple of grabs from the Criterion to compare with David's grabs of the mk2 DVD (not exact frames):


mk2


Criterion


mk2


Criterion

[zone_resident]

Beaver

[kaujot]

DVDTalk is not impressed.

[ellipsis7]

I'm not impressed with DVDTalk either...

In the 1950s, Rossellini made some conventional pictures, as well as some emotionally wrought dramas.

Er, STROMBOLI, EUROPA 51, VOYAGE TO ITALY?!... Hello?!...

DVDTalk seems to completely miss the point of LOUIS XIV, and presents a flawed and superficial contextualisation of the film in RR's career... A trite simplified conception of Neo-Realism and RR's development beyond it to create new cinematic forms, and a modern cinema...

[tavernier]

Gotta love the mistake in that DVD talk review:

I know that Roberto Rossellini is a master film director, but everyone has a band day and The Taking of Power by Louis XIV left me cold.

[Florinaldo]

I'm not impressed with DVDTalk either...

To be fair, Rossellini's in his didactic phase is not every one's cup of tea. I remember when my university ciné-club showed Socrates and this title in the 70s (on separate evenings), many people found them stultifyingly boring. And this from people who in many cases had been enthusiastic following a screening of Bresson, another supposedly "difficult" director. I believe they would probably have had the same reaction to Blaise Pascal, which I saw on TV some time later.

These films are less immediately likeable than some of his more emotionally charged titles, like the upcoming General Della Rovere, because of the detached tone Rosellini deliberately adopted, which can also be observed (even if to a lesser degree) as early as in Rome Open City, which MPix broadcast here in Canada just yesterday.

For my part, I can hardly wait for these to come out this Tuesday, and I hope Criterion does no make us wait too long for the matching Antiquity set.

[jbeall]

Dave Kehr

[GringoTex]

One of the most astounding films I've ever seen. Rossellini's complete control over the slightest movements of camera and actors and clothing, and his ability to use these movements to express the deepest and most profound of emotions and historical record, is unprecedented in my cinema viewing experience.

[jbeall]

Finally got around to (re-)watching this, and was again impressed. It works for a variety of viewers--in addition to the more blatantly didactic moments, the mise en scene provides so many telling details (the dogs, the servants sleeping on the floor, etc.) that I immediately wanted to watch it again. I wonder if there are any political scientists in this forum--it'd be a great film to show in class.

The film felt a little uneven to me. The three acts--Mazarin's death, the revealing of Louis's ambition (culminating in Fouquet's arrest), and then Versailles--felt a little episodic, as if by drawing the film out another twenty minutes, Rossellini could have fleshed out the story's flow. Nevertheless, each sequence makes its point effectively, and I was laughing out loud when the nobility quickly adopted those ridiculous clothes. And while that conversation Louis has with Colbert about his plans to wreck the nobles with fashion is very didactic, it's also a wonderful glimpse into a mind that sees all the angles, despite what characters like his mother or Fouquet thought of him earlier.

I commented on the first page that there are parallels with the Bush Administration's call to frivolity--go shopping or the terrorists win!--and I still think the comparison works, since the nobles are encouraged to shop precisely in order to keep them away from the "terrorists"--the nascent bourgeoisie--of Louis's day. They're literally paralyzed, standing around as Louis tightens the screws. Anyway, although I wish it was a little longer, I'm now eager to watch the Eclipse set.

[why not]

It's my first post i should have pick a more popuIar subject but i just saw this movie and since it's all fresh i want to ask a question about one or two details i heard in one of the interview...In Renzo Rossellini interview he says that French television agreed doing the movie in the condition that it should be shoot in 16mm and in color for 20 000$ and on the criterion booklet they say that it was transfer from a 35mm print also i thought that from Renzo's point of view all the film is Roberto's idea but Colin Maccabe says that ''unlike Rossellini's other historical films,a project that the Italian director joined late and with the narrative arc already developed.'' i don't know if i should pay attention to details like these but it was just bothering me and i thought that here was the perfect place to express these questions...
besides all that after seeing this i'm so happy to have the eclipse set!!!

[Matt]

In Renzo Rossellini interview he says that French television agreed doing the movie in the condition that it should be shoot in 16mm and in color for $20,000 and on the criterion booklet they say that it was transfer from a 35mm print

I don't know the exact specifics of this film, but it's common for 16mm films to be blown up to 35mm for exhibition and also for preservation. Creating a digital transfer from 16mm camera originals is done, but it's pretty rare.

[GringoTex]

also i thought that from Renzo's point of view all the film is Roberto's idea but Colin Maccabe says that ''unlike Rossellini's other historical films,a project that the Italian director joined late and with the narrative arc already developed.''

According to Tag Gallagher's "The Adventures of Roberto Rossellini," the script, cast, costumes, shooting schedule and sets were all in place with the producers scrambling for a director. They first offered the job to Rivette! He refused and RR accepts at the last minute (the lowest point in his career). RR first reads the script the night before shooting starts and decides it sucks. He shoots the first couple of scenes with the script as is because the schedule can't be altered, meanwhile furiously rewriting the rest of it with another writer. But since the shooting schedule is so tight and low-budget he can basically only rewrite dialogue- he can't really delete or add scenes.

Meanwhile, the French crew damn near mutinied against RR (they were of course hired and in place before RR joined) because he shot all these zoomy long takes without coverage. They thought he had no idea what he was doing.

I doubt a greater film has been made under such constricting circumstances.

[tag gallagher]

Rivette was supposed to direct, but the production wasn't that far along when Rossellini was hired. For example, the costumes had not been made, and the decision to base the plot on them had not been made.

[zedz]

I was looking for the Fanfan la tulipe thread and was shocked to see this comparatively recent release buried on page 6 or something, so I'm bumping it.

As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the releases of the year: a great, great film beautifully presented. And Tag Gallagher's video essay is probably the best Criterion extra I've seen this year (so thanks, Tag, if you haven't left the building): pithy, penetrating and it made me want to immediately watch the film again.

Perhaps an even greater testimony to the excellence of the essay is that when I did rewatch the film (not immediately, but only a couple of weeks later) I was compelled to rewatch the video essay as well.

[GringoTex]

I agree- this will be my #1 in this year's poll.

[knives]

If it weren't for the equivalent eclipse set I'd be right there with you. Rossellini has a talent for finding the most epic and emotional things is the tiniest of corners. The ending to this film is so sad and somber I really am shocked that many complaints are about a lack of humanism. If anything this film is about the sacrifices one must do to achieve true humanism. It's practically Buddhist in that sense. The Gallagher essay really does give a perspective of what an undertaking these films were. I would have never guessed the mirror thing the effect fits so well.

[manicsounds]

Could someone list out the runtimes of the extras (min/sec)?

[Askew]

- Taking Power, a multimedia essay by Tag Gallagher, author of The Adventures of Roberto Rossellini (24:44)
- Video interview with artistic advisor Jean Dominique de la Rochefoucauld and script supervisor Michelle Podroznik (14:02)
- Video interview with Renzo Rossellini (5:11)

[manicsounds]

Thank you! Trying to watch a lot of Rossellini recently (and excited about the upcoming BFI set), but I wonder what the chances are of this and his other TV works getting an HD treatment...

[Thornycroft]

I believe the elements situation is tricky for some of the other TV works, which is why they haven't turned up on DVD yet. Not that it stops anyone creating HD masters of the previously released history films I suppose.

I really think it's worth picking up this and the Eclipse set now rather than waiting though, the films are terrific. I think Tag Gallagher's 'Taking Power' essay is indispensable as well, it hugely helped my appreciation not only of Louis XIV but all Rossellini's late period work. I watched it directly after seeing the film for the first time and found myself starting the film again as soon as it was done.

[manicsounds]

I did get the Eclipse set because I found it cheap, but haven't watched it yet. There are still a lot more Rossellini films that are not even on DVD in the US, so hopefully they get released.