Ladies and gentlemen,
In this little box, I’ll show you a new world, with distance and perspective.
. . . . . from the opening lines of La Nuit de Varennes.


Ettore Scola’s La Nuit de Varennes (“That Night in Varennes” or “The New World”) (1982) is a glorious and mischievous film that is very difficult to get access to these days. I managed to purchase a copy of the film in VHS, but it set me back more than I’ve ever paid for any other single cassette film – a bit more than $60. Since copies of this film sometimes sell for $300-$400, I not complaining. Still, after forking out that much for a film, I was more than usually intent on it turning out to be a worthwhile viewing experience. I was not disappointed! It’s not a five-star film, but it’s a strong four-stars with five very good performances, another half-dozen or so more than satisfactory supporting performances, magnificent period detail, and a lot of intelligent, witty, and literate dialogue. It’s got a great premise as well. It’s the kind of film that you enjoy but end up feeling that it could have been an even better film with just a bit of tweaking. All it lacks is a more dramatic climax and tighter editing.

The details of this story are fictional but set against a backdrop of real historical events – the fateful flight of King Louis XVI from Paris in 1791 at the height of the French Revolution. We, the audience, travel with a second coach that is following some six hours behind the King’s family. Our companions, at various times, include the writer Restif de la Bretonne (sometimes dubbed the first pornographer), the American patriot Thomas Paine, the famous Italian lothario, Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, the Countess Sophie de la Borde (lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette), a half-dozen other passengers, and two coachmen. An event as cataclysmic as the flight of the royal family ought to provide drama enough for a powerful climax for a film, but Scola keeps his script rooted in the perspectives of his fictional characters, showing the King’s ultimate arrest only circumspectly.

Historical Background: After the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789 and uprisings in Paris and elsewhere throughout France, a National Assembly was formed. It issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August, 1789 and drafted a new constitution that provided for a limited monarchy and a one-house assembly. Lands of the Catholic Church were seized and sold and full religious tolerance was extended to Protestants and Jews. The National Assembly disbanded as soon as the newly elected Legislative Assembly formed in September of 1791. This new government would function effectively only if Louis XVI cooperated with the assembly. Louis feigned sympathy for the Revolution out of fear for the safety of his family, but, in reality and under the advice of his wife, worked against the Revolution and sought to enlist the support of his royal relatives in Austria. The royal family was forced to remove themselves from Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where they lived under guard. Late in 1791, Louis and his family attempted to flee from France to the east but were overtaken and arrested on that fateful night in Varennes. Louis was dethroned, tried for treason, and guillotined on January 21st, 1793. Marie Antoinette followed her husband’s fate a bit later. The French Revolution not only changed France forever. It also changed the entire face of Europe, since European royalty and nobles could no longer ignore the demands of the ordinary people for liberty and equality.

Thomas Paine (1737-1809), the famous pamphleteer and agitator, who helped to foment the American Revolution, was also a famous figure in Paris during the French Revolution. He was one of those opinionated types who people either admired or hated. Paine had been born in Thetford, England in 1737, but after the death of his first wife and a failed second marriage, he emigrated to America in 1774 and published his brilliant pamphlet Common Sense in 1776. After the American Revolution, Paine traveled to France and then back to England, where he defended the French Revolution against attacks by Edmund Burke. Paine’s publication Rights of Man was suppressed and Paine himself tried for treason, but he returned to France, where he became a French citizen in 1792, by an act of the new National Assembly. So, Paine’s inclusion in the story of La Nuit de Varennes is not so far-fetched as it might seem to American viewers unacquainted with the whole of his life story. He would have been fifty-four in 1791, somewhat older than the young actor who plays his part in the film. American President John Adams stated in 1806, “I know not whether any man in the world has had more influence on its inhabitants or affairs for the last thirty years than Thomas Paine.”

Giovanni Giacoma Casanova (1725-1798), on the other hand, would have been the man in his mid-sixties so convincing played by Mastroianni in the film, though it’s unlikely that he would have found himself in France in 1791. Casanova was an Italian adventurer and courtier, born in Venice. He made a brief attempt at the ecclesiastic life, but was quickly expelled from the seminary. He became part of the household of Cardinal Acquaviva in Rome and then returned to Venice where he became enamored with occult arts and magic. From 1750 to 1753, he was in Paris, engaged in gambling, profiteering, and womanizing. It is the last of those activities for which he is best known. He was imprisoned in Venice in 1755 and his spectacular escape was later described in his memoirs. He reached the height of his notoriety from 1756-1763, entertaining the courts of Europe with his flair for games of chance, romance, and magic. Afterward, his luster began to tarnish, as his charlatanism became more readily apparent. By 1785, he was penniless, but acquired the protection of the Count of Waldstein, for whom he functioned as librarian in his château in Bohemia. In his memoirs, Casanova chronicled love affairs that he claimed to have had with 122 women. Shades of Dennis Rodman and Wilt Chamberlain! He sometimes served as an informant or spy. Casanova also wrote opera librettos.

Director Ettore Scola’s life has been less flamboyant than that of his characters in La Nuit de Varennes. He was born on May 10th, 1931 in Trevico, Italy. He began study for a law degree, but took up writing satire for a literary magazine and turned to script writing in the mid-fifties, often working collaboratively. His first experience as a director came in 1964 with Let’s Talk about Women. His forte was comedy but he sometimes ventured into drama, political films, and period pieces. He often worked with the top Italian actors of his era, including Manfredi, Tognazzi, Mastroianni, and Sordi. Three of his most successful films were Down and Dirty (1976), La Nuit de Varennes (1982), and The Family (1987). He continued to direct films into the twenty-first century, though the caliber of his work fell off during the last fifteen years of his career. One daughter, Gioia, became an actress and another, Silvia, a screenwriter.

The Story: Nicolas Edmé Restif de la Bretonne (Jean-Louis Barrault) is a down-on-his-luck writer and publisher, trying to scrape out a living in Paris. Author of risqué volumes ranging from romance to outright pornography, Restif has one promising bit of work on his plate – publishing Rights of Man for the Englishman Thomas Paine. Meanwhile, his creditors are hounding him and seizing his stock of unsold books. His daughter Agnes, with whom he has a perversely un-fatherly relationship by modern standards, has to deal with the bailiff, since papa is wandering the city streets. Restif intends to walk right past his favorite brothel but cannot resist when the madame, Faustine (Caterina Boratto), extends an invitation to him to sample the dainty pink feet of her newest young coquette. Spying the young prostitute in the buff, Restif declares that she is indeed proof positive that God exists. While Restif spouts on and on, Faustine reassures the young woman that intellectuals and blacksmiths are all alike in bed. Intellectuals just talk more.

Faustine’s daughter, Hubertine, returns from her work as a domestic at the royal castle. Restif has the sudden urge to double up, but Hubertine is off-limits. Restif’s curiosity is aroused, however, when Hubertine reports that the doors of the palace were all locked for some mysterious reason between 11:00 and 12:00 PM. Something important is afoot and, as a writer, Restif believes it his duty to investigate. Restif heads to the gates of Tuileries Palace and spies a young Countess, Countess Sophie de la Borde (Hanna Schygulla), embarking on a journey with two servants and a couple of mysterious packages. His suspicions are further aroused but there’s nothing to do but head home.

Restif learns from his lovely daughter (while fondling her) that the creditors had been around taking inventory and that Paine had stopped by with a token payment. He decides that his best recourse for dealing with his financial woes is to try to intercept Paine and ask for a more substantial payment up-front. Paine is on his way to Metz, so Restif goes to the stagecoach depot to find him. Paine (Harvey Keitel) arrives with his traveling companion, De Wendel (Daniel Gélin), a wealthy businessman who owns foundries in Alsatia. Paine has no more than a few coins to offer to Restif.

Restif notices Countess Sophie arrive with her black maid, Marie-Madeleine, and her hairdresser, Jacob (Jean-Claude Brialy). He watches as the mysterious packages are transferred to the coach that is headed to Meaux, Chalons, Verdun, and Metz – the one that Paine and De Wendel will be on. Suspecting that something important is underway, Restif asks the coachmen to wait while he goes to purchase a last-minute ticket. Jacob, however, wants to avoid sharing his seat with Restif and orders the coachman to get underway.

Restif hires a horse, determined to catch up with the coach carrying the Countess at one of its checkpoints. First, however, he overtakes a small carriage with a single passenger, the rather foppish but elderly Giacomo Casanova (Marcello Mastroianni). When Restif falls from his horse, Casanova, who is traveling incognito, invites Restif to join him in his carriage. The small carriage with Restif and Casanova overtakes the stagecoach with the Countess et al. At the next rest stop, Restif and Casanova sit down together for a drink at the inn. There they encounter a middle-aged wench, Nanette Precy (Dora Doll), who believes Restif to be her son-in-law (Restif had been married to a girl named Zephire and Nanette had a daughter named Zephire, but not the same person). Nanette also believes Casanova to be Zephire’s father, though Casanova later disputes it. Temporarily, it appears that Casanova is Restif’s father-in-law and they greet each other accordingly!

Restif joins the group traveling in the stagecoach while Casanova strikes out once again solo. Aboard the stagecoach, the repartee is sparkling. Besides Restif and the Countess, Paine and De Wendel, there’s an Italian opera singer, Virginia Capacelli (Laura Betti), and Judge De Florange (Michel Vitold), who has run off with her, leaving behind a wife who looks like an old shoe. Virginia travels with a small dog she calls Mr. Baldi, named derisively after a tenor whom she dislikes. Also in the carriage is Mme. Adélaide Gagnon (Andréa Ferréol), who is a recent widow and a winegrower in Champagne. Up on top of the stagecoach is a student revolutionary, Emile Delage (Pierre Malet) and the Countess’s maid, smooching away. Jacob, the hairdresser rides with the driver on the front seat. They come across Casanova, stranded on the side of the road because his carriage has a broken wheel and the driver has gone for a wheelwright. By now, all aboard the stagecoach have figured out Casanova’s true identity, notwithstanding his effort at anonymity. They take him onboard, leaving Jacob behind to watch his goods. The Judge is forced to ride with the driver so that the ladies can enjoy the sparkling and seductive wit of this famous ladies’ man. More delicious repartee ensues.

At the next rest stop, they find that they’ve closed the gap between themselves and the mystery carriage (with the royal family) to just two hours. Furthermore, agents from both the Assembly and General Lafayette have been sent in pursuit of the fugitives, Lafayette claiming they’ve been kidnapped and the Assembly recognizing the King’s true intent – to invade France at the head of an Austrian army and put down the Revolution. Mr. Douvet, the postmaster at St. Menehould, recognizes the Royal Family despite their disguises and they are captured at the home of M. Sauce (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a candle maker in Varennes. Restif and the Countess arrive just in time to observe the arrest of the King and Queen, although all we viewers see of the royal pair is their lower legs and feet through the banister of a spiral staircase. Later, alone with the Countess and Jacob, Restif finally learns what was in the mystery packages – the costume worn by His Majesty at the inauguration of Cherbourg, which he intended to wear at Montmedy to review his troops.

Themes: The quotation at the top of this review was spoken by the barker for a traveling group of riverboat entertainers, inviting Parisians to peer into a viewing device, for the price of one sou per person, to see the wonders of the world. Nowadays, that “box” or “device” is, of course, television or the movie house. That is the beauty and wonder of period films. I love a good period film because it’s as close as we’re going to get to a peek into the past, except perhaps for reading what was written at the time. The theme of this film is how the formative events of history have shaped the world we live in presently. That point is driven home when, at the close of the film, the writer Restif de la Bretonne walks up a flight of Parisian stairs into the world of 1982. This glimpse into the past cost me a whole lot more than a sou, but it was worth every penny of it. The French Revolution was not only formative for France, it impacted all of Western civilization. It is telling, for example, that the Italian name for this film translates as “The New World.”

Production Values: This is a film with a lot of charm. The premise is sound, letting us see history in the making, but through the eyes of a variety of second tier members of French society (a writer, a lady-in-waiting, an over-the-hill rake, a judge, a musician, a landowner) as well as the low-life (peasants, a student revolutionary, drivers, and servants). We lag behind the story that made history by about six hours, but listen to it being analyzed from a wide variety of perspectives. It’s a great literary device. This is a very talky movie, however, and if you’re not into clever dialog, you may find it all too much talking and too little action. The talking does at least take place through an ever-changing set of scenic backdrops, since the characters are in nearly constant travel.

The cinematography was the work of Armando Nannuzzi. There’s a lot of difficult to shoot scenes with carriages and stagecoaches on the run that are very impressive, except for one sequence where it’s all too obvious that the characters are sitting in a fake prop for close-up shots of their conversation. There’s nothing I hate more in movies that those fake vehicle scenes where the characters are sitting in one place while scenery shots are whisked by in the background. La Nuit de Varennes provides many sumptuous shots of the French countryside.

The cast for this film is comprised of a virtual Who’s Who of European acting talent. It’s a very international cast, with the Italian Mastroianni, the Frenchman Barrault, the German Schygulla, and the American Keitel. Marcello Mastroianni’s performance as Casanova is the highlight of the film. We see him constantly primping himself, adjusting his wig, and powdering his nose and chin, trying desperately to make an elderly body comport with an image cultivated by years of philandering and seductions. Mastroianni’s credits are too extensive to list fully, but a small sample of his other work includes La Dolce Vita (1960), La Notte (1961), Divorce Italian Style (1962), Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1963), 8 ½ (1963), The Organizer (1964), The Stranger (1967), and Dark Eyes (1987). In the present film, Mastroianni exudes the world-weariness of the aging Casanova to perfection.

I always enjoy the work of Jean-Louis Barrault. He was fabulous as the protagonist in this film, Restif. I became his fan forever after seeing his incomparable performances in Children of Paradise (1945) and La Ronde (1950). I am no less a fan of Jean-Claude Brialy, however. He has done inspired work in such films as Les Cousins (1959), Paris Belongs to Us (1960), A Woman is a Woman (1960), Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962), The King of Hearts (1966), Claire's Knee (1970), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), and Queen Margot (1994).

Hanna Schygulla plays the female lead, Countess Sophie, and is fully up to the task of matching her great male co-stars. Shygulla is best known for roles in Effi Briest (1974), The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978), Berlin Alexanderplatz (1979), Lili Marleen (1981), and Circle of Deceit (1981).

Foreign-film buff that I am, I was less familiar with Harvey Keitel than the other leads, but I see that he too has an impressive resume of mostly American films. He’s been in Mean Streets (1973), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Bugsy (1991), Thelma and Louise (1991), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Sister Act (1992), The Piano (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), and Cop Land (1997). He held his own against the impressive European talent.

Andréa Ferréol, who played the widow, is no slouch either. She’s been in Tin Drum (1979), The Last Metro (1980), and Three Brothers (1980). Laura Betti was sparkling as the opera singer. She had previously appeared in Teorema (1968) and 1900 (1976). I don’t usually go that deep into the cast for my reviews but that’s how especially deep this cast is. I haven’t even mentioned Jean-Louis Trintignant or Michael Piccoli who had small parts in this film but went on to great careers. You’ll seldom encounter a more star-studded ensemble.

Bottom-Line: This is a film with several strengths and a smaller number of weaknesses. The strengths include witty and intelligent conversation, a strong premise, a superlative cast, great period detail, and high quality cinematography. The weaknesses are two or three, depending on your tastes. I think most viewers will wish that the film had provided more dramatic punch and tighter editing. Some will also find the film too dialog-intensive. This is a film that I’ll watch more than once – the performances are that good, not to mention the lesson in history. It’s a few facets shy of a masterpiece, but a darn good period drama as is. La Nuit de Varennes is in French with English subtitles and has a running time of 135 minutes. If you’re fortunate enough to find a copy, snap it up!


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You might want to check out these other excellent films from France:

Alphaville
Amélie
The Battle of Algiers
La Belle et la Bête
Bob le Flambeur
Le Boucher
Boudu Saved from Drowning
A Bout de Souffle
La Cage aux Folles
Céline and Julie Go Boating
La Cérémonie
La Chèvre
Children of Paradise
Cléo from 5 to 7
Un Coeur en Hiver
Contempt
Cyrano de Bergerac
Delicatessen
The Dinner Game
Diva
The Earrings of Madame de . . .
Entre Nous
Eyes Without a Face
La Femme Nikita
Forbidden Games
French Cancan
Grand Illusion
Harvest
Hate
The Horseman on the Roof
Jean de Florette/Manon
The King of Hearts
Last Year at Marienbad
Life and Nothing But
Madame Rosa
A Man Escaped
Le Million
Monsieur Hire
The Mother and the Whore
Pépé le Moko
Peppermint Soda
Playtime
Providence
Rififi
La Ronde
Round Midnight
The Rules of the Game
Le Samourai
Summer
A Sunday in the Country
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
Three Colors
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Vagabond
Wages of Fear

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age