The Lady and the Duke
It seems odd that veteran director Eric Rohmer finally got around to making a period epic toward the end of his 40-years-plus career. He's been talking for years about doing one.It seems even odder that he would use this project — especially this late in his career — to begin experimenting with digital filmmaking techniques.
But frankly, everything about "The Lady and the Duke" is odd — the beautiful but obviously painted backdrops, the nearly constant chapter breaks and the talk-heavy screenplay (even talkier than usual for Rohmer) suggest a movie experiment that went awry.
As a result, "The Lady and the Duke" might hold the interest of history buffs who are well-versed in the French Revolution, but to the vast majority of more casual filmgoers, it will probably be a talky bore.
That's unfortunate, considering the motherlode of untapped material Rohmer mines here. The film is based on the memoirs of Grace Elliott, a royalist English gentlewoman who was front and center for most of the French Revolution. That's because Elliott (played here by Lucy Russell) was personally involved with Prince Phillippe, the Duke of Orleans (Jean-Claude Dreyfus). Though their affair had ended before the start of the revolution, they remained close friends and confidants.
Unfortunately, it seems at times more of a dry history lesson than an involving film narrative. And there's a surprising lack of emotion in several key scenes, which makes it difficult to become involved in the story. (At times, the digital camera work also makes it look like an access-cable television program.)
Still, no Rohmer film is without at least a few highlights — the scene in which Elliott and her maid witness the execution of the fallen king (from the terrace of a house far away from the action) is particularly well-handled. And the unusual pairing of indie actress Russell and veteran French actor Dreyfus is somewhat effective; their characters' friendship and loyalty is, for the most part, believable.
"The Lady and the Duke" is rated PG-13 for mob violence and scenes of executions (some of them off-screen and overheard), as well as a few disturbing violent images. Running time: 124 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com