A LITTLE CHAOS
UK, 2015, 118 minutes, Colour.
Kate Winslet, Mathias Schoenhaerts, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Helen Mc Crory, Steve Waddington, Jennifer Ehle, Rupert Penry-Jones?, Phylida Law.
Directed by Alan Rickman.
A Little Chaos might be a title for a Marvel Comics action show. But that is not its meaning here at all – and it is a rather misleading title for what we actually see.
We are back in the 17th century, location Versailles. It is the era of Louis XIV, the Sun King, who is doing his utmost to make the Palace of Versailles and its grounds a shining example of architecture and design. This means that the film is quite sumptuous to look at, architecture, gardens, stately interiors, costumes and decor, with the musical score to match.
The use of the word chaos in the title is meant to indicate that there are different ways of and styles for beautiful designs, some very traditional in manner, recognisable by everyone, others that are not quite what is expected, perhaps what we might see as disturbingly beautiful, with a little chaos.
The central character, a fictitious character, Sabine, is a widow who has a reputation for her gardens, her nonconformist attitudes and taste, who is a candidate for developing a particular section of the Versailles Gardens. She is played by Kate Winslet (in between her stints as Jeanine, the rather fascist leader of the government, in the Insurgent series). She plays a strong woman here, determined, a figurehead of female accomplishment in this age.
The film was directed by actor Alan Rickman (probably best known for being Severus Snape, in the Harry Potter series). He also plays Louis XIV, a complex character, an absolute monarch, yet caught in some of the emotional tangles at his court, especially with his wife and mistresses. He is somewhat sardonic, expecting his whims to be fulfilled, but challenged in thinking and attitudes by his encounter with his new gardener.
The other central character is a designer, played by Belgian actor Mathias Schoenaarts, who has often portrayed larger than life bullish characters (Bullhead, Rust and Bone). He seems to be of the traditional school of design and supervises a lot of the changes at Versailles but is intrigued by his interview with Sabine and offers her the position. He is locked in a rather formal marriage, his dominant wife (Helen Mc Crory) does what she likes even while she wants to keep her husband under some control. And she is not impressed by Sabine let alone the emotional response of her husband to Kate and attempts to destroy the project.
While the film offers an interesting insight into the period, the formality of the several thousand people who live at Versailles and work in the court, especially the women in their sequestered area, it is also an interesting drama on the personal interaction level.
The action for some audiences will seem well-paced and measured (or might be called slow). It has been described as a painterly film, one which gives audiences opportunity at some length to gaze and contemplate both the simple and the complex beauty of architecture and design, of trees flowers and landscapes.
1. 17th-century France, Versailles, Fontainebleau, the buildings, gardens, a film about beauty?
2. The title, the King and his sense of order, the state, ambitions, design, buildings, sabotage? Creative chaos and the contrast with traditional order?
3. The 17th century, the French court, the palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau? The interiors, exteriors, the land, the landscaping the quarry, the garden? Costumes, decor, the importance of externals, clothes, wigs? Manners?
4. Louis XIV, the king, Alan Rickman in the role, is also directing? The opening? Waking, breakfast, the children, his loving wife, the courtiers, his personal manner, dressing, the wig?
5. The contrast with Sabine, at home, at work, the garden? Poor? Summoned to the Interview? Buying the hat? Her plans, hopes, the meeting with her rivals and their later sabotage? Andre, the interview, success in his career, design, the importance of order? His seeming to reject Sabine, the disappointment? Throwing away the hat? Andre, his adviser, suggesting another look at Sabine’s plans, combining his ideas with the design?
6. Andre, his character, his role, serious, his reputation, his relationship with his wife, the arrangement about relationships and failures?
7. Andre and his visit to Sabine, the invitation, the plains, the amphitheatre? The detailed scenes of building, the lazy workers, Duras as rival, yet his family life, need for payment, his respect for Sabine, his becoming the foreman?
8. The work, the terrain, adapting, the soil, the underlying water, the need for the aqueduct, the dam? The wood and the workers abandoning it, Duras and his new workers, their progress? The film showing the credibility of the buildings and progress of the time?
9. Andre and his wife, the arrangement, her affairs, her control, her jealousy of Sabine, seeing her in court? The confrontation with her husband, his repeating her lines about the arrangement? The decision for sabotage, losing and her glove, his finding it, presenting it to her in the box, her appreciation of
her downfall?
10. Sabine and her work, hard work, physical? The flowers? The visit to the gardener who loved pears and wrote the book? Her encountering the King by mistake, his helping her, her realisation, sharing the jobs with the flowers, the sequence offering insight into the King? The sabotage, unleashing the water, it is overwhelming effect, the flood? Sabine trying to close the gate? Andre and his help? The King and his visit to the site, commenting on the mud? Sabine at court, his listening to her, the allegory about the rose and human life, his accepting this?
11. Andre and his character, tender, the relationship with Sabine, the brief touch, his wife, the sexual encounter with Sabine, the flashback about her previous life inserted at this stage? Explaining Sabine and her caution?
12. The flashback, the child, hearing her voice after the child was dead? Philippe, the marriage, his mistress, going on the journey, the daughter with little doll, the dangerous wheel, the husband’s decision, Sabine stopping the carriage, its overturning, the death of her daughter, blaming herself?
13. Sabine and her personal journey in achieving her design and vision, starting at home, her work, the interviews, the job, being in court, her bewilderment on the steps with all the courtiers, the encounter with the King, see the of despair, joining all the women, their women’s talk, especially about the deaths of children?
14. The character of Philippe, the brother of the King, his German wife and her friendliness towards Sabine, his children? His manner? His lover? His attitude towards the countryside? Relationship with his brother?
15. The court, the King and his wife, her death, children, mistresses, Antoine and his comment about 2000 people confined in the court, manners and style, jealousy and curiosities?
16. The audience drawn into this 17th-century experience?
