Serra’s sad, stately, haunting addition to the slow-cinema genre doubles up as both an intimate study of the Sun King’s death and a requiem for Europe’s fading arthouse scene.
The tiny details of discomfort, faraway looks and bursts of frantic concentration convey the torment of a great force fading away in a film that is uncompromising, challenging and deeply felt.
Watching a man slowly die has never been so much fun.
Jean-Pierre Léaud gives the performance of his career in this powerful, intimate and moving account of the French king’s final days.
In its own sombre, ritualistic way, the film makes compelling viewing.
A challenging film but an unforgettable one.
Jean-Pierre Léaud stars as the dying monarch in a tragedy tinged with black humour.
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