Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, un soldat britannique est envoyé en éclaireur dans une ville française afin de désamorcer une bombe. La localité, désertée de ses habitants, est maintena... Tout lirePendant la Première Guerre mondiale, un soldat britannique est envoyé en éclaireur dans une ville française afin de désamorcer une bombe. La localité, désertée de ses habitants, est maintenant occupée par les fous échappés de l'asile.Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, un soldat britannique est envoyé en éclaireur dans une ville française afin de désamorcer une bombe. La localité, désertée de ses habitants, est maintenant occupée par les fous échappés de l'asile.
- Un Officier Anglais
- (as Paolo Capponi)
- L'aliéné-docteur
- (non crédité)
- Le Gabalou
- (non crédité)
- Un aliéné
- (non crédité)
- Un aliéné
- (non crédité)
Histoire
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesWhile the film was a flop with critics and audiences in France, it was an unexpected cult success in the USA, running for years in Boston repertory film houses circa 73-76. Midnight showings around the country made it an early cult film, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Eraserhead (1977), El topo (1970), La vallée des plaisirs (1970), etc...
- GaffesThe stairs/ladder Plumpick uses to climb to the top of the blockhouse appear out of nowhere.
- Citations
[last lines]
Le Duc de Trèfle: The most beautiful journeys are taken through the window.
- Crédits fousThe credits rise and then fall to coincide with the sound of a large clock.
- ConnexionsReferenced in Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan (1998)
- Bandes originalesLa Valse Tordue
Written and Performed by Georges Delerue Et Son Orchestre
Reviewing the film for the first time is a bit tricky in light of its formidable cult history. At the time, it's success was often chalked up to as a counter-culture commentary on the insanity of the Vietnam War. By the 80s and 90s, KING got tabbed as 'of its time' and 'dated' (a term I despise).
In 2018? With distance, one can look at it as the timeless fable it always was at its core. A British soldier Plumpick (Alan Bates) is sent to a small German occupied village in WWI on a spy mission. Unbeknownst to the Allied forces, the village has already been evacuated and the Germans have also left (leaving a nasty surprise behind). In a bizarre turn of events, the village's only inhabitants are the patients at an insane asylum. The patients soon dub Plumpick their de facto ruler - 'The King of Hearts'. Not content with just a 'King', the patients dress up and become characters of their own - everything from Dukes and Duchesses, to Prostitutes and Madams. A particularly winsome lass, Coquelicot (Genevieve Bujold) is presented as a possible Queen to the 'King'.
There is much frivolity and preciousness on hand, much of it entertaining, and much of it cloying (and all of it will be found offensive to many people offended at its portrayal of the mentally ill). De Broca's direction and the script by Daniel Boulanger and Maurice Bessy moves in fits and starts. How enjoyable one finds it will depend on one's tolerance for such whimsy. The performances are energetic and its no wonder Bujold (in her yellow tutu) soon became an international name.
The film's message that the insanity of war would be no different with the actual 'insane' in charge (if not better off!) is facile, of course, but, one can see how it would have had resonance during a time of war, protest, assassinations and such. It's like Renoir's RULES OF THE GAME as played by mad fools. But, rather than just saying it's 'dated' and 'of its time' (just as facile, in my book), its better to just look at KING OF HEARTS as fairy-tale for all times. * After not doing much business in its initial run, KING OF HEARTS had a legendary 4 to 5 year run (depending on the source) at the now defunct Central Square Cinemas in Boston. During that period it spread to midnight shows, college campuses and revival houses across the country. It remained in regular revival house distribution into the 80s.
Meilleurs choix
- How long is King of Hearts?Alimenté par Alexa
Détails
- Date de sortie
- Pays d’origine
- Langues
- Aussi connu sous le nom de
- Un monde fou
- Lieux de tournage
- Senlis, Oise, France(insane asylum and town square scenes, Senlis is 55 km north of Paris)
- Sociétés de production
- Voir plus de crédits d'entreprise sur IMDbPro
Box-office
- Montant brut aux États-Unis et au Canada
- 17 646 $US
- Week-end de sortie aux États-Unis et au Canada
- 3 443 $US
- 25 févr. 2018
- Montant brut mondial
- 18 130 $US