More than 2.6 million curious people tuned in to France 2 on Monday to watch the first episodes. Almost 13% of the market share, therefore, in the face of fierce competition, with Brocéliande (the TF1 blockbuster starring Nolwenn Leroy) and Love is in the meadow on M6. A relief and a real satisfaction for Christopher Thompson, creator and director of the series, who had dreamed of adapting this story to the screen for almost thirty years.
“I am very happy about it, especially since our proposal goes against the grain of what is currently being done.” A story that the filmmaker discovered at the age of 12, when his grandfather, the famous Gérard Oury, gave him Fortune of Francethe saga of Robert Merle, and for which he had a real crush. “I then tried to buy the rights from the author’s descendants, twenty-seven years ago, but they refused at the time.”
This adaptation into a TV series, with an assumed “old-fashioned” soap opera side, is particularly successful. In the 16th century, in a kingdom of France on the verge of being gangrened by religious wars, we follow the daily life of the Siorac family, led by Jean, a valiant patriarch who is secretly Protestant. Converted, denouncing the excesses of the Church and rejecting the cult of the saints, in particular that of the Virgin, the clan prepares to enter into resistance.
“This story reminds us: we have always killed in the name of God”
At the Château de Mespech in Dordogne, in an atmosphere that can sometimes recall Downton Abbey, the (quiet) time of the Sioracs nevertheless seems numbered. Especially at a time when denunciations are legion and when the enemies of Catholicism are burned alive in the public square. The story of a civilization that may seem very distant, but which, according to Christopher Thompson, clearly echoes our own. “It reminds us that we have always killed in the name of God. Like these terrible words of Charles IX: “Kill them, but kill them all, so that not one of them remains to reproach me.” It is sad, but religious fanaticism exists today as it existed then, with ambitions and political issues that divide.”
Moreover, the arrival of written information at the time, notably with the translation of the Bible from Latin to French, and the accelerated spread of knowledge, can be compared with what we are experiencing in the digital age. “This created a huge shock. We were and still are in a world of questions.”analyzes the author. The second season, already in preparation, should further accentuate the comparison. Between epic battles, passionate love affairs and cascading betrayals, this historical fresco entirely filmed in the Périgord works wonderfully, notably thanks to an extremely careful reconstruction and considerable attention to detail.
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A historical fresco filmed entirely in Périgord
“It is always very complicated to recreate an eracontinues Christopher Thompson. Everything that appears on screen had to give meaning and truth to each scene. Beyond the existing books, we therefore did a lot of research to ensure that the result was up to par. In terms of costumes, of course, but also concerning every little detail, like these little night sticks for brushing teeth or this moment when an actress plucks a hen while chatting. She had to learn how to do it in advance, which is not easy at all!
On the distribution side, there too Fortune of France succeeds in its bet. Firstly thanks to Nicolas Duvauchelle, as radiant as he is moving as Jean de Siorac (incidentally rewarded for his role with the Best Actor Award at the last La Rochelle TV Fiction Festival), but also to Grégory Fitoussi, excellent as the villain on duty. Not forgetting Guillaume Gouix (also awarded in La Rochelle) and Lucie Debay, one of the key female roles in this saga.
It should be noted that the succession in the Thompson family seems assured, since Marcel, Christopher’s son, plays the young François de Siorac here. A downside, however, with certain liberties taken that could make purists jump: a doctor who cures the Black Death with vinegar or a flamenco singer who is almost two hundred years ahead of History! But what does it matter, as the whole, as breathtaking as it is poignant, transports us into this frightening world that built the foundations of ours.
Fortune of France ***by Christopher Thompson, with Nicolas Duvauchelle, Guillaume Gouix, Lucie Debay, Grégory Fitoussi. Six 52-minute episodes. This Monday, September 23 and Monday, September 30 at 9:05 p.m. on France 2.
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