A two-part historical MTV work,it depicts the feud between superintendent of finances Fouquet and Colbert both vying for political power ; It happens at a pivotal time in French history : the death of Cardinal Mazarin ,who ruled the country during Anne D'Autriche's regency ,and the beginning of the Sun King's reign .
Didier Decoin , famous director henry Decoin's son as well as a renowned writer wrote a strong screenplay even though he made the Squirrel the hero ,a bon vivant and a charmer and the Grass Snake the ruthless adamant villain .
Laurent Deutsch portrays a cheerful extravagant Fouquet ,sometimes a bit naive ,particularly when the king refuses to spend the night in his desirable castle and does not realize how sullen and jealous the monarch is ;in fact,he already fell into disgrace,without him knowing ,three months before the fete.A patron whose protégés (La Fontaine , Lebrun,Molière) appear in the movie ,mainly in the first part, and who would later work for the king.
Thierry Frémont is a cold sly Colbert ;Madame De Sévigné ,who was Fouquet's friend ,called him "the north" .She appears in the movie, and comes to her friend's wife's rescue when the king wants to take her children away from her.
Filmed on location in Fouquet's castle, in Vaux-Le -Vicomte ,and in other castles ,it's a rather good historical movie,in spite of occasional inaccuracies (the Fouquet/Colbert meeting in Pignerolles being the most egregious gaffe).
Directed by Laurent Heynemann ,whose most interesting theatrically released work was also a historical movie,dealing with torture in the Algeria war.
