Not familiar with the history within which the film and its characters are set, I am unable to comment on its accuracy or faith to the people and times the film depicts in grand and lavish style. This, perhaps, is a good thing as I can appreciate the film as a film and it is an incredibly beautiful one. However, beneath the beautiful veneer is a bitter-sweet story of one court musician's (Lully) creative passion and unrequited love for the king (Louis) he served.
As with many historical pictures the powers and machinations of the French court are apparent: in Lully's struggle to gain French citizenship and acceptance, as a former Italian, based on his musical gifts and patronage of the king; also in Louis's desire to utilise the arts for political power.
Lully rises to power and as he does so his fervent devotion to the king becomes an obsession that will dominates Lully's life. As Lully tells the hapless Moliere, "I choose between him and you, my friend. He is fickle. He loves only his glory, but I love him. He's the best of me."
The young king is shown as lonely and unhappy, estranged within the court from his mother he indulges his passion for music and dance through Lully, who makes of the king a dancer. This early bond through music is manipulated by Louis later for political ends, with Louis becoming increasingly narcissistic and cruelly remote towards Lully. Louis's narcissism is well evoked; for example, in one scene where, rehearsing a dance in which Louis is the sun, Louis tells Lully to "adjust the movement of the planets. The planets do not brush against the sun. They allow it to shine." The evolution of the relationship between Lully and Louis hurts both men who in turn hurt those around them. Neither are sympathetically portrayed and yet moments of vulnerability make it hard to dislike them or condemn them outright. Louis, as much from political necessity as cruelty, tells Lully he is not his friend as the king has no friends. This line is repeated at later intervals by Lully as he cuts ties with people in a ruthless and desperate struggle to stay important to the king.
Lully loves the king. What the king feels for Lully is less clear although there are blurred lines suggesting more feeling from Louis to Lully than was expressed. The final scene of the film shows a melancholic Louis without music in his life now that Lully has died. Music functions as a thematic metaphor throughout the film for life, love and bounty yet it is destructive too as first Louis and then Lully injure themselves in its service. Lully's injury proves fatal to him.
The film is infused with Lully's music adding an aural splendour to the visuals on display and doing justice to his music. The dance scenes and those between Lully and Louis are executed exceptionally well. Reputed to have been one of the most expensive French productions, it is easy to believe as the film is so detailed and rich.
As with many historical pictures the powers and machinations of the French court are apparent: in Lully's struggle to gain French citizenship and acceptance, as a former Italian, based on his musical gifts and patronage of the king; also in Louis's desire to utilise the arts for political power.
Lully rises to power and as he does so his fervent devotion to the king becomes an obsession that will dominates Lully's life. As Lully tells the hapless Moliere, "I choose between him and you, my friend. He is fickle. He loves only his glory, but I love him. He's the best of me."
The young king is shown as lonely and unhappy, estranged within the court from his mother he indulges his passion for music and dance through Lully, who makes of the king a dancer. This early bond through music is manipulated by Louis later for political ends, with Louis becoming increasingly narcissistic and cruelly remote towards Lully. Louis's narcissism is well evoked; for example, in one scene where, rehearsing a dance in which Louis is the sun, Louis tells Lully to "adjust the movement of the planets. The planets do not brush against the sun. They allow it to shine." The evolution of the relationship between Lully and Louis hurts both men who in turn hurt those around them. Neither are sympathetically portrayed and yet moments of vulnerability make it hard to dislike them or condemn them outright. Louis, as much from political necessity as cruelty, tells Lully he is not his friend as the king has no friends. This line is repeated at later intervals by Lully as he cuts ties with people in a ruthless and desperate struggle to stay important to the king.
Lully loves the king. What the king feels for Lully is less clear although there are blurred lines suggesting more feeling from Louis to Lully than was expressed. The final scene of the film shows a melancholic Louis without music in his life now that Lully has died. Music functions as a thematic metaphor throughout the film for life, love and bounty yet it is destructive too as first Louis and then Lully injure themselves in its service. Lully's injury proves fatal to him.
The film is infused with Lully's music adding an aural splendour to the visuals on display and doing justice to his music. The dance scenes and those between Lully and Louis are executed exceptionally well. Reputed to have been one of the most expensive French productions, it is easy to believe as the film is so detailed and rich.