Death of Louis XIV (Serra, 2016): ICA Cinema, 8.50pm
This film is part of an Albert Serra season.
Chicago Reader review:
As much a lesson in medical history as political history, Spanish
director Albert Serra’s retelling of the final days of the Sun King
relates the monarch’s treatment in meticulous and fascinating detail.
The film focuses almost exclusively on the dying king’s relationship to
his doctors (which Serra based on court records), and from their
interactions one gains a vivid sense of the superstitions and limited
scientific knowledge that determined medical practices in the early 18th
century. Reminiscent of the historical dramas that Roberto Rossellini
created for television in the 1970s, Serra’s movie immerses viewers in
the day-to-day life of the period, making narrative a secondary concern.
Yet the story never feels aimless, thanks to Serra’s skillful parceling
of observations and the refined performances of the ensemble cast. At
the center of it all is Jean-Pierre Léaud’s commanding and achingly
vulnerable turn as Louis, which ranks among the actor’s best work.
Ben Sachs
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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