The Supper (movie, 1992)

Synopsis

Paris, July 6th, 1815 . The French people are worried about their future: Napoleon having been defeated at Waterloo , the country is left without a leader. Talleyrand , former Minister of Foreign Affairs invites dinner at his hotel Fouche former Minister of Police and current head of the Provisional Government to discuss and choose a new sovereign for France. Begins then a long verbal duel between the two men: Talleyrand thinks that it is necessary to return to the monarchy and to put Louis XVIII on the throne, Fouché hesitates because he formerly voted the execution of Louis XVIand fears that his brother Louis XVIII will make him pay for it. Fouche offers alternately Napoleon II , Louis Philippe of Orleans or the return to democracy but Talleyrand remains camped on his position. The game turns to the settlement of accounts when everyone begins to talk about the crimes that the other has committed to climb the ladder.

The film ends with a quote from the Memoirs of Beyond-the-Grave

“I went to his Majesty’s house: entered one of the rooms which preceded that of the king, I found no one; I sat in a corner and waited. Suddenly a door opens: between vice, silently, leaning on the arm of the crime, M. de Talleyrand marching supported by M. Fouche; the infernal vision passes slowly before me, enters the king’s closet and disappears. Fouche came to swear faith and homage to his lord; the royal fate, on his knees, put the hands which made the head of Louis XVI fall into the hands of the brother of the martyred king; the apostate bishop was the surety of the oath. “

– Chateaubriand – Memoirs of Beyond the Tomb

Technical sheet

• Title: The Dinner
• Directed by: Édouard Molinaro
• Scenario: Edouard Molinaro , Yves Rousset-Rouard , Jean-Claude Brisville , from the play of the latter
• Image: Michael Epp
• Original Music: Vladimir Cosma
• Costumes: Sylvie de Segonzac
• Production: Yves Rousset-Rouard
• Production company: Trinacra Films , Parma Films , France 2 Cinema , Canal + , Sofica Investimage 4 , Cofimage 4 , Procirep
• Distribution Companies: Ariane Films , France Télévisions Distribution ( DVD ), Mainstream SA , TV5Monde (Japan TV )
• Country of origin: France
• Format: Colors
• Genre: Historical Movie
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Release date ¹ :
  • La France : December 23 , 1992
  • Germany: February 14 , 1993( Berlinale )
  • United States : March 23 , 1996( VCU French Film Festival )
  • Japan: 1 ^st April 2014( TV )

Distribution

• Claude Brasseur : Joseph Fouché
• Claude Rich : Talleyrand
• Ticky Holgado : Jacques Massoulier
• Yann Collette : Jean Vincent
• Alexandra Vandernoot : The Duchess of Dino
• Stéphane Jobert : Antonin Carême
• Lionel Vitrant : the man with the torch
• Michel Piccoli : Chateaubriand (voice over)

Around the film

• The film is supposed to take place in Talleyrand’s mansion, the Saint-Florentin Hotel , at the time the seat of the United States Consulate, which refused the filming. The film has had to be turned to the Monaco hotel , office of the embassy Polish, located by a curious coincidence at 1 rue de Talleyrand in the 7 ^th arrondissement in Paris .
• This film marks the reunion between Claude Rich and Claude Brasseur who had already given the reply in La Guerre des fonts .
• Alexandre Brasseur , the son of Claude Brasseur, makes an appearance in the role of a bystander at the beginning of the film. His interlocutor is the actor Didier Cauchy
• Claude Rich has been awarded the Cesar Award for Best Actor for his performance of Talleyrand. The film also won the César for Best Costumes .
• Despite the quasi-surgical precision of the facts and historical data cited, five errors were made:
  • during supper (supposed to take place in 1815), Fouche calls Napoleon II “l’Aiglon”; this nickname of Aiglon was given to Napoleon II by Victor Hugo in 1852 (37 years after this supper and 20 years after the death of Napoleon II)
  • Fouche says Napoleon I ^first had two sisters, yet it were three: Elisa , Pauline and Caroline
  • Talleyrand announces that the vote in the Assembly on the death of Louis XVI took place on January 16, 1793 when it was January 15.
  • The film shows Talleyrand with a club- foot on the left (on the stool that Fouche gave him) while the engravings still represent him on the right.
  • The Duke of Enghien , shot by Napoleon, is not the grandson of the Grand Conde but his great-great-great-great-grandson: Le Gd Conde -> Henri Jules Bourbon Conde -> Louis III of BC -> Louis IV of BC -> Louis V of BC -> Louis VI of BC -> and finally Louis-Antoine (Duke of Enghien) shot in 1804.
• Many of Talleyrand’s “good words” spoken throughout his life were grouped together by E. Molinaro during this fictional evening.

Notes and references