MovieChat Forums > A Little Chaos (2015) Discussion > Do I really care if a foppish, rich king...

Do I really care if a foppish, rich king likes his garden?


The big payoff is at the end is where we find out whether King Louis XIV approves, or disapproves, of his new garden. Something about that premise doesn't sit well with me. He's too filthy rich for me to give a damn.

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It was pretty much brought out throughout the movie that the King had better get what he wants. There was a scene where the King tells La Norte that he has been told that La Norte has made changes to the plans. When questioned La Norte says that he will bear the responsibility. The Kings not so subtle response was, "yes, you will". And in the very beginning La Norte states that if he fails he will probably be killed. His assistant disagrees, telling him that prison would be more likely.

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This is a society where the king had final say on who could marry. Several sources claim a prince's steward, a man named Vatel, committed suicide when the fish for a banquet for the King didn't arrive in time. And then there's the unfortunate man that both Vatel and LeNotre first worked for. Nicolas Fouquet got a lenient sentence for his embezzlement but Louis XIV overruled the courts and had him imprisioned for life. He also confiscated and purchased some of the man's property for Versailles.

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You should care because he represents a sickness, a philosophy that it is still prevalent today. Even after a King and Queen were beheaded. Even after the whole Czar's family was shot dead by firing squad.

Louis XIV thought himself the epitome of human kind. The philosopher's stone. Not only did he believe it, so did everyone in court and the common people. He was a living icon, a living GOD. The elites STILL believe in this philosophy and still think their blood is magical. They still believe that this magic is the reason why they are rich, powerful and endowed by the universe with the right to rule over us.

The ending of the film is encoded with magical Alchemical symbology.

Louis is the Gold, the Sun, the philosophical child.

The marriage of opposites that bolster him are Notre and Barra. it is also symbolized in the floor of the ball room. The tiles of black and white represents the marriage of opposites, male and female.

The four elements are represented by the fountains (water), garden (earth), the music (air) and fire (torches).

Note the red stone in the center of the black and white tiles. Together these represent the 3 stages of the Great Work or Alchemy.

Black - Death Stage
White - the Purification
Red - the rebirth into the stone.

As the film ends, the court dances around the Sun King representing his first place in the system of all things. They are mere planets and satellites but he is first.

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@kaskait
Fascinating... thank you for that.


~
For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky.
🐉

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I came back to the boards to find this post before the boards are taken down, because I recalled how much I appreciated how informative it was. Thank you for having taken the time to share these insights.

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I understand the 'tude but please consider, its everyone in court's fear of appearing ridiculous. What interests the filmmakers is this class' consuming passion for beautiful appearance and the kings favor. Leto and Winslet are in the service of the king to not risk him and by extention themselves being ridiculed.Thats a lot of pressure. Imagine Alan Rickman as the artisan gardner toiling to please producers and a fickle, public by making a non comic book film. Your lack of sympathy for a despot is shared by me but, ya know, ya gotta serve somebody.

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