Versailles Review: An epic historical drama.


Image courtesy: GOOGLE IMAGES

Versailles is a fictional show based on French history. It highlights the life of Louis the fourteenth. There are a lot of plots that entwine throughout the three seasons of the show. It perfectly describes the monarchy through different events and dialogues. At one event when someone questions Louis's justice, he justifies his brutalities by saying: 'I am Justice'. This is just one of the powerful dialogues that you will experience in this series! The dialogues are simply mindblowing. Simple fact stating sounds fancy and splendid. 

The storyline is complex but you get hooked once you start watching the season. It's one of those shows where I was taken back to 1667, Louis the fourteenth had just taken command over France. He develops Versailles as his center and strives to make it a glorious manifestation of the French monarchy. The love life of the king is not hidden to anyone as he is always surrounded by ladies despite being married to Marie Theresa, the princess of Spain. Everything revolves around political strategies, including the life choices of the royals. That brings us to my favorite character, Philippe. He is King's younger brother; a flamboyant, charming, and rebellious warrior. What attracts me the most other than his beautifully silky hair is the diverse dimensions of this character. There is so much to this character and the writers have rightly explored every aspect of Phillipe throughout the three seasons. I enjoyed the wonderful character growth and we cannot deny his strength when he occasionally goes against the king. Philippe was both vulnerable and powerful. I enjoyed Philippe's scenes more than Louise's. 

Image courtesy: GOOGLE IMAGES

Another character that stole my heart was Monsieur Marchal. His real name was Fabian and he was the head of France's security under the leadership of Louise. There was so much potential in this character and once you start understanding his perspective, you just cannot unlove him. There is charm, vigor, beauty, and surprisingly, a very soft side to his character. He has his share of ladies throughout the show but what stands out for me is his elusive loyalty to the king. However, his subconscious is continuously tested along with his skills to investigate the crime. There are some amazing cases that he solved with his intellect and helped the king crackdown the traitors. So much so when a Fabian left the service of the king, Louis personally visited to get him back as he was in dire need. Such was the brilliance of Fabian! There is marvelous character growth in the second and third seasons which you will surely enjoy.

Image courtesy: BBC


All the supporting characters have done an amazing job and the storyline unfolded through the progression of these characters.

Image courtesy: GOOGLE IMAGES

Louis was an adamant Catholic Christian and audiences are repeatedly reminded of the fact that he considers himself God chosen. There is a very stern representation of his beliefs. However, the contradiction between belief and conduct is very ironic. He has several Madame's but some of them prove to be more significant than the others. 

The political intricacies are very interesting but according to Google, some of the portions are not entirely true. For instance, my favorite character, Fabien, was not real. Nonetheless, it is commendable how the writer has incorporated fiction and reality to create a masterpiece that is worth a watch.

Image courtesy: Tell-Tale TV

Lastly, the palace of Versailles is so beautiful. There is an equilibrium of beauty and mystery in the palace. All the sets are very pretty. Especially when the story showcases Louis's love for magnificent architecture, the Palace of Versailles does justice to the theme of the show.

If you're looking to binge-watch and you love the exhilaration of historical shows, Versailles is a perfect choice for you. 




    

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