Netflix is known for its endless amounts of tv shows, movies, documentaries, etc., but what I never expected to find myself watching are programs in outside the english language. Granted, I have seen a couple shows and movies in high school for Spanish class, but never have I sought them out on my own volition. It started with Spain’s Money Heist, also known as La Casa de Papel, then arrived Squid Game from Korea, which has taken the world by storm as of recent. Both shows are in their native language, with english subtitles on screen. I thought it would bother me at first, but after watching both shows, the subtitles honestly feel natural, I don’t complain about having to read and hear.

My friend had to watch a film for her History of Paris class, and it so happened to be in French with English subtitles. The timing could not be any better, and I figured it would be a better choice as I have never heard of it before, so I went into the movie with no expectations.

Right off the bat, the movie showed an invalid older person being purposefully urinated on by one of the characters, with the urinator telling a nurse the old man had an accident. I had never seen that displayed before on film, but it showed me how French in the 18th century would try to ruin one’s honor. The film is about reputation, something one needs in order to have any sort of chance at being successful in Versailles’ social circle. Having an accident on oneself is certainly embarrassing, so this opening seen is just par for the course as to what people will do to advance their own worth.

With the movie being set in the 18th century, things were obviously very different back then compared to now. They took horses, everywhere, wore large white wigs, and everyone had on fancy clothing like dresses or suits. Now we have roads, better transport, and fashion is for everyone. This was the norm in Versailles, and it played an essential part in the social game. The rich hung out in a place they called “court”, where the main character goes to in order to get a sponsor for his drainage project. He is from the swamps and is attacked in the city as soon as he arrives, but is taken in by the local doctor who helps him not only get better, but also teaches him how to thrive in Versailles’ elite society. One thing I noticed was that mugging is still common today, except it was way more dangerous back then as there was not as much medical help as there was today.

The most noticeable cultural difference was the prevalence of sarcasm which they all referred to as “wit”. The main character, Ponceludon, had to use this in order to secure funding for his project. This involved him hanging around with the King, Queen, and other nobles, and taking personal digs at those around to impress them. Most of the time, they were all at dinner or some sort of meal, and they would bounce sarcastic comments off each other in hopes of gaining the most laughter from the audience. Towards the end of the film, the main adversary to Ponceludon throws the shoe of another man into the fireplace while he was sleeping. The man awakens to find a shoe missing, which meant he was not allowed to enter the court. With no shot at getting royal backing for his own project, he proceeds to hang himself. This spoke volumes as to just how much reputation mattered in society, it was literally life or death. Nowadays, people recieve funding by showcasing data and statistics, not by trying to be witty.

Another underlying factor in this movie was the fact that in order to enter the court, one must prove their Lord lineage. If one could not, they were not permitted to enter the court. In today’s society, anyone has the space to talk and present an idea, especially one that benefits a community. Since wealth is also more spread out, the community itself can raise money, rather than having to resort to lobbying the government or another source of money.

All in all it was a great film, here is a link I have the movie. Be careful of the ads, as since it is a free website they are quite prevalent.