Synopsis

In late 18th-century France, impoverished nobleman Gregoire de Ponceludon travels to Versailles to seek royal support for a project draining the disease-ridden swamps of his home region. To succeed at court, he must master its merciless culture of wit, where a single poorly judged remark can destroy a reputation. Along the way, he encounters ambition, deception, romance, and the dangerous power of ridicule.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was selected for the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where it served as the opening film and competed for the Palme d'Or.

• The story is set during the reign of Louis XVI, using the elaborate social rituals of Versailles to examine class privilege, vanity, and the power of language.

• The historical figure Charles-Michel de l'Epee appears in the film. The 18th-century priest was a pioneer of public education for deaf people and promoted sign language as a teaching method.

• Several scenes were filmed in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, including palace gardens and ponds.

• With a reported running time of 102 minutes, the production was made by French companies including Epithete Films, Cinea, and France 3 Cinema.

• The film was France's entry for the 69th Academy Awards and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

• At the 1997 Cesar Awards, it won four prizes: Best Film, Best Director, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

• The production design and costumes are central to the film's meaning: the lavish court environment turns appearance, gesture, and verbal performance into tools of social power.