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The Death of Louis XIV

Name: The Death of Louis XIV
Director: Albert Serra
Released: 2016
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

5.2/10

Fair

2016

Director

Albert Serra

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a postmodern deconstruction of power that prioritizes sensory experience over traditional biographical narratives. By focusing on the physical decay of a monarch, it challenges the 'Great Man' theory of history. While the film lacks modern demographic diversity due to its adherence to the historical setting, it achieves a progressive narrative through its subversion of absolute monarchy. It uses the King's suffering to offer a subjective, sensory-driven perspective on power. The work critiques Western institutional stability by using the King's suffering to dismantle the mythos of the absolute ruler.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Death of Louis XIV have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on the King's physical decline and court rituals, without depicting same-sex intimacy or non-cisgender identities.

How does The Death of Louis XIV portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a powerful male figure who is physically vulnerable. Female characters are confined within existing patriarchal structures without actively challenging gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Death of Louis XIV?

Limited

The casting reflects the historical homogeneity of the 1715 French aristocracy, with no attempt to include actors of different races or ethnicities.

How does The Death of Louis XIV represent religion and culture?

Good

The film dismantles Western institutions by focusing on the King's physical decline. It portrays the court as a place where rituals are decaying rather than glorified.

Does The Death of Louis XIV include disability representation?

Fair

The story offers an unflinching look at chronic illness and the loss of bodily autonomy. The King's suffering serves to deconstruct the myth of absolute power.

Present on Screen

Challenges the 'Great Man' theory of history by focusing on physical decay.
Offers a visceral, unflinching portrayal of chronic illness and bodily vulnerability.
Subverts the idealized portrayal of absolute monarchy and Western institutional power.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diverse ethnic representation due to strict historical homogeneity.
Female characters are not given opportunities to challenge patriarchal structures.
No explicit depiction of LGBTQ+ ability to act or non-cisgender identities.

Official Synopsis

August 1715. After going for a walk, Louis XIV feels a pain in his leg. The next days, the king keeps fulfilling his duties and obligations, but his sleep is troubled and he has a serious fever. He barely eats and weakens increasingly. This is the start of the slow agony of the greatest king of France, surrounded by his relatives and doctors.

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