Saint-Cyr is a French historical film, directed by Patricia Mazuy and released in 2000 . It is based on the novel The House of Esther by Yves Dangerfield .
Synopsis
In March 1685 M me Maintenon , wife of Louis XIV , wants to create a boarding school for girls of poor nobility. It must first be a school where the girls will be raised piously but liberally.
From the beginning, the task is particularly difficult because the young girls from the provinces speak all the different regional languages. One of the first tasks is to teach them a Parisian French.
After a few years of carelessness for all, the goal is impossible to achieve. A major crisis arises because of an excerpt taken from the play Iphigénie , by Jean Racine . This causes too much passion. M me Maintenon then asked Racine to compose him a room for his daughters who do praise of virtue. It’s Esther to be played. During the performance, the king and his court are invited. M me Maintenon then realized that his views are protected as prey by the nobles. Marriage requests flock. A noble is introduced even in the school.
M me Maintenon decides to impose more rigorous. She is also immersed in religion because she wants to expiate her past. She asks an abbot to help her to keep the boarders on the right path of Christian morality by preserving them from the world. Instead of making these girls an elite of the outside world, the institution has cut them off from reality. She will disintegrate. The film concludes with the failure and closure of the royal house of St. Louis .
Technical sheet
- Title: Saint-Cyr
- Director: Patricia Mazuy
- Scenario: Patricia Mazuy , Yves Dangerfield and Yves Thomas
- Production: Helga Bähr , Diana Elbaum and Denis Freyd
- Music: John Cale
- Photography: Thomas Mauch
- Editing: Ludo Troch
- Sets: Thierry François
- Costumes: Édith Vesperini and Jean-Daniel Vuillermoz
- Country of origin: France
- Genre: Historical Movie
- Duration: 119 minutes
- Release dates:
- France :
Distribution
- Isabelle Huppert : Madame de Maintenon
- Jean-Pierre Kalfon : Louis XIV
- Simon Reggiani : the bishop
- Jean-François Balmer : Racine
- Nina Meurisse : Lucie of Fontenelle
- Morgane Moré : Anne of Grandcamp
- Bernard Waver : Father Gobelin
- Jeanne Le Bigot : young Lucie de Fontenelle
- Mathilde Lechasles : Anne de Grandcamp young