• Narrative
• THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV

THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV

Synopsis

Versailles, August 1715. Back from hunting, Louis XIV - magisterially interpreted by New Wave icon and honorary Palme d’Or recipient Jean-Pierre Léaud (The 400 Blows) - feels pain in his leg. A serious fever erupts, which marks the beginning of the agony of the greatest King of France. Surrounded by a horde of doctors and his closest counselors who come in turns at his bedside sensing the impending power vacuum, the Sun King struggles to run the country from his bed.

Based on extensive medical records and the memoirs of the Duke of Saint-Simon and other courtiers, The Death of Louis XIV is a wry neoclassical chamber drama, a work of pure magic by Albert Serra, one of today's most singular directors.

Special Features

Film Society of Lincoln Center presents Jean-Pierre Léaud & Albert Serra Q&A at NYFF54
Cuba Libre (2013, 18 mins) a film by Albert Serra
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
Booklet featuring essay by Jordan Cronk

Film Reviews

"A mesmerizing elegy."
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

"An instant classic."
– Filmmaker Magazine

Disc Reviews

"Albert Serra’s meticulous attention to ambient sound and the bodily noises of impending death are excellently conveyed on Cinema Guild’s Blu-ray release." - Slant Magazine

Trailer