Vatel

"Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy."

2000 1h 43m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 185

HistoryDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Vatel is the cook of Prince Condé. When the prince invites Louis XIV to hunt, he has to give lavish banquets in order to fall in his favour. But when Vatel falls in love with the king's mistress, love and duty conflict.

“Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy.”

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Cast

Gérard Depardieu
Francois Vatel
Uma Thurman
Anne de Montausier
Tim Roth
Marquis de Lauzun
Timothy Spall
Gourville
Julian Glover
Prince de Conde
Julian Sands
Louis XIV
Murray Lachlan Young
Philippe d`Orleans
Hywel Bennett
Colbert

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roland Joffé
Writers: Jeanne Labrune
Languages: French, English
Countries: France, United Kingdom

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

Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roland Joffé, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gérard Depardieu and Uma Thurman and Tim Roth carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roland Joffé directs. Robert Fraisse behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Noëlle Boisson cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, United Kingdom. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
226 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
4International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.
5Directed by Roland Joffé, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Noëlle Boisson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Gérard Depardieu and Uma Thurman and Tim Roth carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Some men are too noble to live among aristocracy.".
10IMDB entry: tt0190861 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.