The difference between Diderot’s work and this period film directed by Cécile de France and Edouard Baer

On Friday November 1 at 9:05 p.m., France 5 broadcasts Mademoiselle de Joncquières. A period film inspired by a work by Diderot, but which took its liberties…

For his ninth feature film, Emmanuel Mouret chose to go towards the period film with Mademoiselle de Joncquières. Unveiled on September 12, 2018 in cinemas, it has a cast made up of Cécile de France, Edouard Baer, ​​Alice Isaaz, Natalia Dontcheva and Laure Calamy. A distribution serving an adaptation, that of an unnamed text, present in The Ladies of the Bois de Boulognesigned Diderot. However, let us note that the work diverges under the filmmaker’s cameras… But to what extent?

Mademoiselle de Joncquières : libertine betrayals and revenge among socialites

Here, everything will start quite far from the court, alongside Madame de La Pommeraye. A widow, she will give in to the approaches of the Marquis des Arcis, although known for his love of libertinage. Against worldly rumors, they will lead a lasting love… However, after several years, the marquis will see his passion seriously dry up. Resuming his full freedom, he will have to suffer the wrath of Madame de La Pommeraye. Driven by revenge, she will do everything to achieve it with the help of Mademoiselle de Joncquières…

Mademoiselle de Joncquières : when a director distances himself from the original work

Already adapted for the cinema by Robert Bresson in The Ladies of the Bois de Boulogne in 1945, Diderot’s famous text found itself once again in front of the cameras in 2018. This time, Emmanuel Mouret chose to put his touch on it, focusing on the development of the characters. Quite close to Diderot’s story, he nevertheless chose to invent one from scratch, that of Lucienne, a friend of Madame de La Pommeraye, played by Laure Calamy. In the press kit of Mademoiselle de Joncquièresthe director explains why: “The characters of the marquis and the marquise are so excessive that I needed a character who embodies an idea of ​​reasonableness, of moderation. Without moderation, there is no excess. It is also a character to whom I very much related. attached. Her friendship for the marquise is true, attentive, delicate… and little by little she sees her friend drifting away like a boat on the sea. I told Laure Calamy that this character could have been the author. or the narrator of this story, I really appreciated the elegance and inventiveness of his interpretation.”