{"id":1849,"date":"2024-12-09T22:14:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T02:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kawsachunnews.com\/w\/60-years-ago-this-5-film-french-saga-became-a-box-office-sensation\/"},"modified":"2024-12-09T22:14:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T02:14:23","slug":"60-years-ago-this-5-film-french-saga-became-a-box-office-sensation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kawsachunnews.com\/w\/60-years-ago-this-5-film-french-saga-became-a-box-office-sensation\/","title":{"rendered":"60 Years Ago, This 5-Film French Saga Became a Box Office Sensation!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rediscover the renowned “Ang\u00e9lique” movie series, consisting of five films, as it celebrates 60 years since the release of its first installment.<\/p>\n

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On December 8, 1964, a film premiered featuring Mich\u00e8le Mercier, an actress more famous in Italy than France at the time. Known for leading roles in Mario Bava\u2019s “The Three Faces of Fear” and “The Buccaneer,” Mercier starred in “Ang\u00e9lique, Marquise des Anges,” a film that would transform her career and spawn numerous sequels.<\/p>\n

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Nearly 3 Million Tickets Sold!<\/h2>\n

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Based on Anne Golon’s eight-book literary series, the first “Ang\u00e9lique” film was directed by Bernard Borderie. Having previously found success with “The Three Musketeers” duology and two “Chevalier de Pardaillan” adventures, Borderie was a natural choice to helm this big-budget production. In the film, Mich\u00e8le Mercier plays Ang\u00e9lique Sanc\u00e9 de Monteloup, while Robert Hossein portrays the enigmatic Joffrey de Peyrac. Jean Rochefort plays the lawyer Desgrez, and Giuliano Gemma appears as Nicolas, Ang\u00e9lique’s childhood love. The plot kicks off when Ang\u00e9lique, in love with Nicolas, is forcibly married to the wealthy, alchemy-practicing, war-wounded nobleman Joffrey de Peyrac due to her father’s financial troubles.<\/p>\n

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The two main characters slowly grow to understand each other, and just as they begin to fall in love, Joffrey is unjustly executed for witchcraft. The movie ends as Ang\u00e9lique finds allies, including Nicolas, in Paris’s Court of Miracles, fueled by a strong desire for revenge\u2014a sequel was already planned, contingent on the success of this first film.<\/p>\n

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Four More Sequels Followed!<\/h2>\n

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“Ang\u00e9lique, Marquise des Anges” captivated audiences, drawing nearly 2.95 million viewers. The original team quickly produced a sequel, “Merveilleuse Ang\u00e9lique” (1965), which followed the tone of the first film but included some unfortunate departures\u2014such as Ang\u00e9lique\u2019s inn that burns down shortly after it opens. The ongoing intrigues in the Court of Miracles continuously delay Ang\u00e9lique\u2019s revenge.<\/p>\n

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Three more episodes followed, featuring more adventure, mild eroticism, and exoticism, with perhaps the best being “Ang\u00e9lique et le roy” (1966). However, the plot of “Indomptable Ang\u00e9lique” (1967) unnecessarily drags on, and “Ang\u00e9lique et le sultan” (1968) clumsily mimics the aesthetics and music of “Lawrence of Arabia,” released six years earlier, to poor effect and little narrative interest.<\/p>\n

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Despite ongoing success, Mich\u00e8le Mercier grew tired after the fifth installment. Frustrated with hastily written scripts, inadequate pay despite the films’ earnings, and the increasingly poor treatment of her character, she decided to step away. Over time, the once ambitious, strong, courageous, and intelligent Ang\u00e9lique was reduced to a mere object of violence, abduction, and abuse.<\/p>\n

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From “Indomptable Ang\u00e9lique” onward, the character became more passive than proactive, diminishing her strength and credibility and disappointing loyal viewers.<\/p>\n

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For the Curious, the Rest of the Story<\/h2>\n

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Here, briefly, are the further adventures of Ang\u00e9lique after “Marquise des anges”:<\/p>\n

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