Ridicule

"Wit is the ultimate weapon."

1996 1h 42m FR

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 229

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

To get royal backing on a needed drainage project, a poor French lord must learn to play the delicate games of wit at court at Versailles.

“Wit is the ultimate weapon.”

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Cast

Charles Berling
Le Marquis Grégoire Ponceludon de Malavoy
Jean Rochefort
Le Marquis de Bellegarde
Fanny Ardant
Madame de Blayac
Judith Godrèche
Mathilde de Bellegarde
Bernard Giraudeau
L'Abbée de Vilecourt
Bernard Dhéran
Montalieri
Carlo Brandt
Milletail
Jacques Mathou
Abbé de l'Épée

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Patrice Leconte
Writers: Eric Vicaut, Michel Fessler, Rémi Waterhouse
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Patrice Leconte, shot by Thierry Arbogast. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Antoine Duhamel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joëlle Hache shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Berling and Jean Rochefort and Fanny Ardant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Wit is the ultimate weapon.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Patrice Leconte directs. Thierry Arbogast behind the camera. Antoine Duhamel scores. Joëlle Hache cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
330 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Patrice Leconte, shot by Thierry Arbogast. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Antoine Duhamel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Joëlle Hache shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Charles Berling and Jean Rochefort and Fanny Ardant carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Wit is the ultimate weapon.".
9IMDB entry: tt0117477 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "court", "bedroom", "painter", "versailles".