Review of Ridicule

Introduction

In 1780`s France, Le Marquis Grégoire Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling) is concerned for the health of the peasants on his estate due to the disease-ridden swamp. He has an ambitious project to drain France`s swamps which would have far-reaching socio-economic consequences, but does not have the financial resources to realise his plan. In order to raise the money, he travels to Versailles to petition Louis XVI (Urbain Cancelier). Once there, he is taken under the wing of Le Marquis de Bellegarde (Jean Rochefort) who educates him in the way of the court and the importance of wit, which is the key to a successful audience with the King.

Once at Versailles, Ponceludon attracts the attention of the recently widowed and extremely influential Madame de Blayac (Fanny Ardent) and her lover, the scheming L`Abbée de Vilecourt (Bernard Giraudeau). Ponceludon finds himself attracted to the beautiful young Mathilde de Bellegarde (Judith Godrèche) so must tread carefully not to offend Madame de Blayac in his pursuit of the recently engaged Mathilde, whilst not forgetting the true purpose of his visit to Versailles.

Lauded by critics worldwide, `Ridicule` won `César` awards in France for Costume Design, Production Design, Direction and Best Film, together with numerous nominations. It was also recognised at the Academy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTAs and many other organisations.

Video

A glorious transfer which does nothing to diminish the quality of the costumes or scenery. The look of the film reminded me of `Barry Lyndon` and `The Age of Innocence` in the attention to detail and beauty.
The subtitles are clear and easy to read, with no grammatical or spelling errors.

Audio

The only soundtrack available is a French Stereo Surround mix which does a good job of delivering the dialogue and presenting Antoine Duhamel`s brilliant score. It`s a shame that the DVD does not contain a 5.1 mix, as this would showcase the score and allow for the dialogue to be even clearer, but the stereo surround mix is more than adequate.

Features

The story of Ridicule is a comprehensive `making of` with features on casting, costumes, the score, filming and the research that went into the screenplay. Among those who feature are director Patrice Leconte, actors Charles Berling and Fanny Ardent, composer Antoine Duhamel and the screenwriters.

Conclusion

In `Ridicule`, words are everything and although the score, costumes and set design are all top notch, the film ultimately lives or dies on the quality of the screenplay. In this case, as with the film, words are chosen carefully and the magnificently crafted screenplay is the undoubted star.

Given that the film is in French and has been entirely derived from French history and witticisms, the subtitling needs to be superb in order to allow a non-French speaking audience to appreciate the nuances of the wordplay. Fortunately, the subtitling does just this and those with little or no understanding of the French language will be able to follow the narrative drive and the quips and barbed exchanges between characters.

`Ridicule` marks Charles Berling`s cinematic debut as a leading man and he has taken to it like the proverbial duck to water, never appearing out of his depth and with no weak link amongst the more experienced cast members, the acting is excellent and helps transcend the language barrier. In many cases it`s not what is said, but how it`s said that is important. Perhaps the highest compliment I could pay to Patrice Leconte is that I didn`t notice his direction and the film flowed without the obvious sign of a guiding hand.

`Ridicule` is in many ways similar to the immaculately staged `Dangerous Liaisons` in that they take place in the same country during the same period, the protagonists are amoral and the stories concern the joy of seeking to manipulate and destroy a person`s reputation.

I found `Ridicule` to be a wonderful film with exceptional visuals, an intriguing story and a genuinely funny and moving screenplay.