The Folly of Love

Movies: The Princess of Montpensier

Bertrand Tavernier's lush film The Princess of Montpensier felt like a cinematic romance novel: set in 16th century France at the height of the Catholic/Protestant wars, the film follows Princess Marie de Montpensier and the men who lust/love/jealously obsess over her. At the start of the film, Marie is engaged to Mayenne de Guise, but is in love with Mayenne's brother, Henri. Everyone, including Mayenne, knows this and seems pretty OK with it. There is some medieval notion of chivalrous love behind Marie and Henri's affections: one can easily be married to one man, and in love with another (provided the lovers never consummate get caught consummating their lust).

But Marie's fortunes change when the Duc de Montpensier convinces her father to marry her off to his son, the Prince of Montpensier, in order to make a lucrative alliance. At first, Marie will have none of it, but her mother finally convinces Marie to submit to the will of her father and marry the Prince. After all, if Marie had married Mayenne de Guise, it would only be a matter of time before she and Mayenne's brother gave in to temptation...which wouldn't have been good for anyone.

The Prince de Montpensier is no grotesque monster: he is a young, handsome man who is invested in Marie's education and seemingly wants Marie to fall in love with him. But Marie is like the Bella Swan of this movie, and every man within a 10 foot radius of the woman seems to fall in love with her, causing immature (if understandable) jealousy from the Prince.

Marie stays at the Prince's remote castle and is tutored in poetry and astronomy by the Comte de Chabannes, an older gentleman and mentor of the Prince who abandoned warfare after killing a pregnant woman in battle. The Prince goes off to fight--alongside Marie's beloved Henri, no less. During the course of the film, Marie, the Prince, Henri, and other lovestruck gentleman are continually thrown into social situations which test Marie's faithfulness and the Prince's ability to control his jealous outbursts.

I was reminded of Romeo and Juliet while watching The Princess of Montpensier. When I was in high school, everyone thought Shakespeare's most famous work was about love. Love so strong, it transcended death. When I got older, I realized that Romeo and Juliet is not about love at all, but teenagers afflicted with infatuation. Likewise, The Princess of Montpensier is about a bunch of young adults who are forced by their era, culture, and class into serious situations such as war and marriage, while still saddled with the passionate, unreasonable emotions that afflict people their age.

By my description, the film might sound trite, silly, or tedious--but it's actually quite engrossing. It helps that the costumes and cinematography are breathtakingly beautiful. And despite the pettiness of Marie and Henri's puppy love and the Prince's anger and insecurity, there is a sense of desperation and, ultimately, resignation, in the characters that makes the film interesting. By today's standards, many of these characters have little to no personal choice*. They are pawns by those (their parents, the Church) more powerful than they are, and their precious little "feelings" mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

One character I really liked was the Comte de Chabannes He is a man whose personal beliefs, and not religion, law, or customs dictate his actions. He cannot stand the indignities of war, and so he leaves. He has feelings for Marie, and so he tells her, but respectfully backs away when she rebuffs him. He is a man who stands above the fray simply because he stands for something other than money, power, or lust.

4 out of 5 stars

* I realize that my understanding of the concept of "personal choice" and what makes a "good" life is inextricably bound up in my own culture and era. Director Bertrand Tavernier deserves acknowledgement for not turning this film into a reflection of 21st values set in the 16th century. He portrays the characters doing and believing what they are brought up to do and believe--just as we do and believe what we are brought up to do and believe today--without judgement.