The Lady and the Duke
The Lady and the Duke (French: L'Anglaise et le Duc, lit. 'The Englishwoman and the Duke') is a 2001 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer, based on the memoirs Ma vie sous la révolution (Journal of My Life During the French Revolution) by Grace Elliott, a Scottish royalist caught up in the political intrigue following the French Revolution.
| The Lady and the Duke | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| French | L'Anglaise et le Duc |
| Directed by | Éric Rohmer |
| Screenplay by | Éric Rohmer |
| Based on | Ma vie sous la révolution by Grace Elliott |
| Produced by | Françoise Etchegaray |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Diane Baratier |
| Edited by | Mary Stephen |
| Music by | Jean-Claude Valero |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 129 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | French |
| Budget | €6 million[1] ($7.1 million) |
| Box office | $1.1 million[2] |
According to a description of the film in The Guardian, Rohmer's "customary verbal sparring and complex intellectual arguments are spiced by lavish sets, suspenseful plotting and the continuous threat of violence."[3]
Cast
- Jean-Claude Dreyfus as Duke of Orléans
- Lucy Russell as Grace Elliott
- Alain Libolt as Duke of Biron
- Charlotte Véry as Pulcherie the Cook
- Rosette as Franchette
- Léonard Cobiant as Champcenetz
- François Marthouret as Dumouriez
- Caroline Morin as Nanon
- Marie Rivière as Madame Laurent
- Héléna Dubiel as Madame Meyler
- François-Marie Banier as Robespierre
Reception
The film was criticised by many viewers in France because of its uncompromising presentation of revolutionary violence; some described it as aristocratic propaganda.[4] Asked about this, Lucy Russell remarked: "There does seem to be a great problem, not just in France, but every country has problems facing up to the nasty parts of its history. But there's a reason it was called the Terror."[3]
References
- "L'Anglaise et le duc (2001)". JP's Box-Office (in French).
- "The Lady and the Duke (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- Ojumu, Akin (30 December 2001). "Roads lead to Rohmer". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- "Two Identities, One Faith". Plough. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
External links
- The Lady and the Duke at IMDb
- The Lady and the Duke at AllMovie
- The Lady and the Duke at Box Office Mojo
- The Lady and the Duke at Metacritic
- The Lady and the Duke at Rotten Tomatoes