Released on television in 2015 (and for the Russian viewer in 2016), the Versailles series in the genre is a historical drama. Filmed was mainly in France. Actors of the series "Versailles" hail from the UK, USA, Canada. At the moment, viewers have already seen two seasons, the third is preparing for the release. The work received many positive reviews for carefully selected scenery and costumes appropriate to the era.
Description and genre
According to the plot of the television series "Versailles", the action takes place in the XVII century in France. The main character is Louis XIV or, as he was also called, the “King-Sun”. After the death of the Queen Mother, he becomes a ruler, but it is not easy to maintain power. Louis decides to move the courtyard from Paris to a new place and as such chooses Versailles (at that time - a small town). The plot of the picture is based on events that took place in reality, but is largely complemented by the director's vision, assumptions and conjectures. This is especially true for complex relationships between heroes.
Most of the actors in the series Versailles are young people under the age of thirty. Pretty young were real prototypes. Filming was not only in Versailles. The frames also included the majestic Pierrefonds Castle, created by the architect F. Mansard, the Maison-Laffitte Palace, a neighborhood of the city of Rambouillet.
Cast
The main role went to the young Englishman George Blagden. Previously, he had already starred in a television series on historical subjects. In the Vikings, George played the monk Ethelstan. The artist can also be seen in the films Les Miserables, The Wrath of the Titans, and some other films. According to viewers, Blagden perfectly succeeded in the role of Louis, he accustomed well to the image. It is worth noting that it is not so simple to recognize him in a wig with long curls and in stockings.
The duke of Orleans in the picture appeared another serial British actor - Alexander Vlachos. He gained worldwide fame after the release of the series "Merlin". Among the actors of the series "Versailles" and a very young actress from Switzerland Noemi Schmidt. The girl became the decoration of the film, playing the role of Henrietta of England.
Minor Heroes
The valet Alexander Bontan played in the series Stuart Bowman. And the role of the Marquise de Montespan was chosen by Anna Brewster, a British native of Birmingham. Previously, she starred in Star Wars, as well as in comedic multi-part films (“Me and Mrs. Jones,” “Mercantile Girl”).
The marquise as a character in reality was a favorite of Louis, which is shown in the movie. The young woman had a huge influence on the ruler for many years. Another officially recognized favorite - Louise de Lavalier (in the film she was played by the little-known actress Sarah Winter in Russia) - was her predecessor. The relationship described in the movie with Louis and his women actually existed, although perhaps supplemented by some fictitious facts. Naturally, all the dialogues between the characters were also invented.
Interesting facts about the series
The shooting took place near real palaces in France, including on the territory of Versailles. The design of the scenes was taken seriously. Costumes, details of the surroundings were prepared for several months. Even the scientific director of the palace in Versailles acted as a consultant . The plot of the film does not disappoint: numerous plot twists, secrets and intrigues constantly keep the viewer in suspense. That is why the series became known not only in Europe. Among the French films that have ever appeared on television, Versailles is recognized as the most costly. Significant amounts of euros were spent on the purchase of materials for the costumes of heroes. Making corsets for ladies, dresses, wigs is a laborious job, for the implementation of which it took to hire real professionals.
To attract attention and partly for the greatest certainty, the film includes many frank scenes. Some of them were even removed from the Russian-language television version.
All actors of the 2nd season of the series "Versailles"
The second season of the series also features ten episodes. A few years later, the construction of the palace continues, and at the same time new problems and intrigues in human relations appear. Now even the Church does not support the king, and Louis is forced to continue his struggle for power and respect. As in the first season, the actors and roles of the series "Versailles" remained the same. Tai Runyan represents the character of Fabien Marshall, the guard. This hero is a fictional person invented by the scriptwriters. In the role of Chevalier de Lorrain, the main favorite of the Duke of Orleans, is still Evan Williams.
This season there are such new faces as Suzanne Clement (representing Madame Agatha), Irish Catherine Walker (in the role of Scarron).
Reviews from critics and viewers
The ratings of the series are quite high. We managed to sell it to more than hundreds of countries around the world, translate it into many languages. Criticism of the French audience mainly fell on the cast, which mainly includes representatives of the British nation, and not the true French. But filmgoers in the UK were not entirely satisfied with the presence of many erotic scenes in the film. In general, everyone notes that it was shot beautifully, amazing scenery is used, and the actors' game is at the highest level.
We can say that the film was a success. Now it remains only to wait for its continuation. The storyline of the third season is still a mystery, the names of new actors and roles are not announced. The creators of the series "Versailles" S. Mirren and D. Wolstencroft continue to act as screenwriters and producers of the film.