La Nuit de Varennes

Ettore Scola used the dramatic escape of the French king from Paris and his capture in the village of Varennes in less than 24 hours as a starting point for a Felliniesque spectacle, where a diverse cast of characters from different political and social classes engage in excited intellectual and social debates about the period they are living in, and the viewer can witness the birth of modern society. The luxurious cast includes, for example, excellent actors such as Jean-Louis Trintignant, who received a small role as the mayor of the town and barely appeared on screen for five minutes. Compared to Fellini, however, Scola lags behind visually; the film, except for the prologue, which takes place among traveling comedians, mainly relies on dialogue. That Night of Varennes is a film that tries to capture the intellectual and social ferment of its time, and for the most part, it more or less succeeds. The dialogues, which concern the character of a writer writing about lurid erotic themes, are even very charming. Overall impression: 80%. (28/03/2009)

A strangely nostalgic story from revolutionary France. Just as Mastroianni's Casanova came to the end of its life, an entire epoch has passed away. It turns out that we have surprisingly sparkling dialogues about it, we experience a touch of several amorous adventures, and finally say goodbye to the king himself. (18/04/2013)