La Reine Margot

I saw Patrice Chéreau's La Reine Margot for the first time when I was 15 years old.

My friend Inés and I were bored at home and decided to rent a movie. I remember the shock of seeing Isabelle Adjani in the cover of the VHS (yes ladies, there weren't DVD's yet!) so solemn and wonderful in a red brocade dress with white partlet. We didn't know a thing about the film but we rented it just because we liked the fashions in the cover.

The film was as shocking as was the look of the VHS jacket. You have this thing in your head that all movies from "old" times are kind of sweet and happy. You don't expect when one is like this, as bloody and violent, sexually charged and deep in the matters that was talking about. (note that we saw the "European" version of the film, 160 minutes instead of 138; the movie cut was due to a disappointing box-office performance in France and the criticism of the film as being too violent and often incoherent. source).

The film, based on the 1845 historical novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas father, narrates the years in the life of Margot de Valois, sister of the Catholic King Charles IX, when her wedding with the Hugenot King Henri of Navarre is arranged by the King’s mother, Catherine de Medici to "unite" Christians and Protestants in quite politically febrile years in the history of France.

The years to come will be a horror for the country because nor Christians nor Protestants will accept such a superficial show; what was supposed to forestall a conflict between the religious groups eventually metamorphosed into what would become known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, an event that signaled the death of 6,000 Protestants, irretrievably blackened Medici’s name and became an unsightly smear on France’s history. (source). Those were the days...

This has always been a very special movie for me, I probably can say this is one of the best movies ever made. For this reason it was a wonderful surprise when when i interviewed Zoey and Brian from Boudicca for milkshake chocolate mentioned La Reine Margot and its Costume Designer Moidele Bickel, as something to remember.




/// La primera vez que ví la película del director francés Patrice Chéreau, La Reina Margot, yo tenia 15 añitos.
Era un día de esos de aburrimiento total en casa con mi amiga Inés, cuando decidimos irnos al videoclub a alquilarnos una peli.

Si cogimos La Reina Margot no fue por otra cosa más que por la carátula de la cinta (ah... nada de DVDs todavia!). Nos gustó Isabel Adjani con su vestido rojo de brocado y su gorguera blanca, tan solemne y maravillosa.

Obviamente no teniamos ni idea de lo que íba la pelicula, pensamos que sería otra de esas ñoñeces a las que Hollywood nos tiene acostumbrados en las peliculas de época. Claro que se nos escapó un detalle: esta no venia de Hollywood.

La película nos dejó en estado de shock, fue una de las pelis más violentas y sexualmente cargadas que yo habia visto hasta la época, tratandose de eso, una peli de época. Claro que encima nosotras vimos la version "Europea" de 160 minutos en vez de los 138 a los que se redujo posteriormente por motivos comerciales y porque a los americanos no se les podia mandar tanta violencia a casa... fuente.

La pelicula, basada en el libro de 1845 del mismo nombre escrito por Alejandro Dumas padre, narra los terribles añs que siguieron a la boda concertada entre la católica Margot de Valois, hermana del rey de Francia Carlos IV, y el rey hugonote Enrique de Navarra.

Esta es probablemente una de las mejores peliculas que se han echo en la historia del cine en mi opinion. De ahi que cuando Brian y Zoey de Boudicca nombraron este film en la entrevista que les hice para milkshake chocolate y su diseñadora de vestuario Moidele Bickel como algo para recordar, se me quedó grabado.