Ridicule is a
1996 French
film set in the 18th century at the decadent court of Versailles
, where social status can rise and fall based on
one's ability to mete out witty insults and avoid ridicule
oneself. The story critiques the social injustices of
late 18th century France
, in showing
the corruption and callousness of the aristocrats.
Plot
The
Marquis Grégoire Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling) is a minor aristocrat and
engineer living in the Dombes
, a boggy
region north of Lyon
. He
is one of the few aristocrats who care about the plight of the
peasants.
Horrified by the sickness and death caused by
the disease-carrying mosquitoes that infest the swamps, he draws up
plans to drain them; however, the project is far too costly for him
to finance himself, so he goes to Versailles in the hope of obtaining the backing of King
Louis XVI (Urbain Cancelier).
Just before reaching Versailles, Ponceludon is robbed and beaten.
He is found by the Marquis de Bellegarde (
Jean Rochefort), a minor noble and physician.
As Ponceludon recuperates at the marquis' house, Bellegarde
sympathizes with Ponceludon's mission and takes him under his wing,
teaching him about wit (
l'esprit), the primary way to be
recognized at court, where the aristocracy have taken to comparing
themselves to Voltaire—all the while missing the point of their
hero's ridicule. At first, Ponceludon's provincial background makes
him a target of attacks at parties and gatherings, even though he
proves himself a formidable adversary in verbal sparring.
At one such party, he catches L'abbé de Vilecourt (
Bernard Giraudeau) cheating at a game of
wits, with the help of his lover, Madame de Blayac (
Fanny Ardant), a beautiful and rich recent
widow of the man who was to have been Ponceludon's sponsor at
court. Although Madame de Blayac fears being exposed, Ponceludon
assures her that such is not his intention. Blayac repays his
generosity by arranging for the certification of his
lineage—thereby allowing his suit to proceed. Despite his success,
Ponceludon begins to see how hollow and rotten is the tree that is
the court at Versailles—a motif that runs throughout the film (his
barren swamp-infested land; the dark roads that lead to court; the
moral corruption of Versaille, etc.)
The only exception is Mathilde Bellegarde (
Judith Godrèche), the doctor's
daughter. She has agreed to marry Monsieur de Montaliéri, a rich,
old aristocrat whose wife is dying. Her motivation is twofold: to
support her science experiments and to help pay off her father's
debts. Ponceludon and Mathilde quickly fall in love. As a result,
she begins to dread her upcoming marriage.
Sensing a rival for her protegé, Madame de Blayac traps Ponceludon
during a dinner party (with her accomplice Motaliéri) where one too
many guest has been invited. A contest of wit is used to settle who
must make a humiliating departure. Sexually distracted by Blayac,
Ponceludon is the loser and is convinced that his disgrace will
force him to leave the court. However, he is reminded of why he set
out in the first place when a village child dies from drinking
contaminated water. During this time, Mathilde appears at court,
breaking the terms of her engagement contract.
Vilecourt finally has his moment in the sun: an audience before the
king. The abbé initially impresses the king, but then immediately
falls out of favor by accidentally blaspheming God in an attempt to
be witty, and Blayac turns her attention back to
Ponceludon—convincing him to return to Versailles. He sleeps with
her in exchange for her assistance; in the end, she arranges a
meeting with the king. She maliciously has Mathilde's father attend
her in his capacity as a doctor while Ponceludon is still in her
bedroom, ensuring that Mathilde learns of their relationship.
During a presentation at court of
Charles-Michel de
l'Épée's work with deaf people and development of
sign language, the nobles ridicule the deaf
mercilessly. However, some nobles change their minds when it is
shown that the deaf have their own form of wit via sign language
puns. In response, de Bellegarde stands and asks how to sign
"bravo," leading Ponceludon to rise and clap to show his support.
This act of kindness touches Mathilde and they soon make up.
Ponceludon joins the king's entourage and, after showing off his
engineering prowess by proposing an improvement to a cannon,
secures a private meeting with the king to discuss his project. The
embarrassed cannoneer then insults Ponceludon, forcing him into
demanding a duel. Madame de Blayac almost persuades him to avoid
the duel, but he eventually decides to proceed, under the
supervision of de Bellegarde. He kills the cannoneer, but is later
informed that
Louis XVI cannot meet with
someone who has killed one of his officers right after his death,
although he is assured that it was right to uphold his honor.
Madame de Blayac is furious when she learns that Ponceludon has
left her for Mathilde and plots her revenge. Ponceludon is invited
to a costume ball "only for wits." Upon arriving at the ball with
Mathilde, he is maneuvered into dancing with Blayac and is tripped.
His spectacular fall earns him the derisive nickname "Marquis des
Antipodes." Before Ponceludon leaves, he
writes on three playing cards, "repartees," "quips" and
"paradoxes," an allusion to the cards he once held, before throwing
them to the ground. Ponceludon renounces the decadent court life
and leaves with Mathilde.
The movie
closes in Dover
, England
in 1794,
where Bellegarde has fled from the French Revolution. On-screen text tells
that citizens Grégoire and Mathilde Ponceludon successfully drained
the Dombes and live well in revolutionary France.
Cast
Awards
Won
Nominations
References
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