Cardinal Mazarin dies, leaving a power vacuum in which the young Louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. Mazarin's fiscal advisor, Colbert, warns against Fouquet, the Superintendant who has been systematically looting the treasury and wants to be prime minister. Fouquet believes Louis will soon tire of exercizing power and overplays his hand by offering a bribe to Louis' mistress to be his ally. She reports this to the king who arrests Fouquet. Louis and Colbert design a brilliant strategy to keep merchants making money, nobles in debt, the urban poor working and fed, and peasants untaxed.
Cast
Jean-Marie Patte
Louis XIV
Raymond Jourdan
Jean Baptiste Colbert
Silvagni
Cardinal Mazarin
Katharina Renn
Anne d'Autriche
Dominique Vincent
Madame Du Plessis
Pierre Barrat
Nicolas Fouquet
Fernand Fabre
Michel Le Tellier
Françoise Ponty
Louise de la Vallière
Joëlle Laugeois
Marie-Thérèse
Maurice Barrier
D'Artagnan
André Dumas
Le Père Joly
François Mirante
M. de Brienne
Roger Guillo
L'apothicaire
Louis Raymond
Le premier médecin
Maurice Bourbon
Le deuxième médecin
Michel Ferre
M. de Gesvres
Guy Pintat
Le chef-cuisinier
Michelle Marquais
Mme de Motteville
Jean-Jacques Daubin
M. de Vardes
Georges Goubert
M. de Soyecourt
Pierre Pernet
Monsieur
Gilette Barbier
Pierrette Dufour
Jean Obé
Le Vau
Jacques Charby
L'assistant de Le Vau
Micheline Muc
Mlle de Pons
Michel Debrane
Le tailleur
François Bennard
L'Archevèque
Georges Spanelly
Seguier
Jean Soustre
M. de Guiche
Axel Ganz
L'Ambassadeur
Jean-Jacques Leconte
Le 1er Chambellan
Violette Marceau
Mlle de Chemerault
Paula Dehelly
Mme d'Elboeuf
Jacques Préboist
Mousquetaire
André Daguenet
Le patron marinier
Marc Fraiseau
Marinier
Pierre Frag
Marinier
Jean Coste
Marinier
Rita Maiden
Une paysanne
Jean-Claude Charnay
Messenger
Jacqueline Corot
Madame Henrietta
Hélène Manesse
The Naiad
Crew
Roberto Rossellini
Director, Writer
Philippe Erlanger
Writer
Jean Gruault
Writer
Michelle Podroznik
Scenario Writer
Armand Ridel
Editor
Jean-Louis Picavet
Director of Photography
Georges Leclerc
Director of Photography
Claude Baks
Producer
Maurice Valay
Production Design
Christiane Coste
Costume Design
Nadine Jouve
Makeup Artist
Renzo Rossellini
Second Unit
Jacques Gayet
Sound Designer
Betty Willemetz
Sound Designer
Jean-Paul Quiquempois
Sound Mixer
Jean-Claude Brisson
Sound Mixer
