France 2 is broadcasting this evening the adaptation of the popular historical saga by Robert Merle. The series Fortune of France takes us to the heart of France during the wars of religion in the 16th century. But how can public television reduce such a 13-volume literary saga to six 52-minute episodes? The director is Christopher Thompson, who, as we remember, tackled the Bardot myth last year
Announced with great fanfare by France 2, the series Fortune of France will be broadcast on the public channel from September 16. It will not be a documentary about Bernard Arnault, François Pinault or any of the tycoons hexagonal! Nor an investigation into the treasures of the Bank of France, but rather an adaptation of the eponymous saga, written by Robert Merle between 1977 and 2003. The opportunity is ideal to immerse yourself in a fresco where literary talent competes with immersion in a troubled period of French history.
A fascinating dive into the history of France
In the summer issue of Talker, dedicated to young talents engaged in the battle of ideas against deconstructive forces, Eugénie Bastié recommended reading Fortune of France : that's how I started to immerse myself in the novel cycle this summer. And then, I was once passionate about another great saga: The Cursed Kings which consecrated Maurice Druon to the pantheon of popular literature.
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Robert Merle's literary summation is a dive into France from the second half of the 16th century to the middle of the following century, mixing small and large history, real and fictional characters, precise descriptions of events (plague epidemic, life and death of sovereigns, siege of La Rochelle, battle of Ivry, etc.) and the beginnings of the heart, where we find ourselves, in the company of La Boétie, the cautious Catherine de Medici or Michel de l'Hospital, but also of the many anonymous people: the wet nurses “who have milk to spare”, the valets, the artisans, the chambermaids, etc.
Huguenots versus Catholics
The tensions that became wars between Catholics and Protestants serve as a backdrop to the story and each, in this conflict between Huguenots and Papists, positions himself according to his faith, his loyalty and often his interests. Thus, the new converts are very sorry to lose fifty days of unemployment with the suppression of the cult of the saints; Pierre de Siorac, narrator, chooses his father's path, but keeps, by virtue of a promise made to his dying mother, a medal of the Virgin Mary around his neck. Between loyalty to faith and to the homeland – in the face of the English -, the choice is sometimes just as difficult.
The saga really begins in the Périgord, not far from Sarlat, in this deep and timeless France, with landscapes marked by wild grasses, stone that rises into castles, meandering rivers and mills. Inevitably, in this setting, people kill, feast, joust, sound the death knell, pillage and loaf. But the plot does not remain confined to this square and visits the meadows, villages and cities used, besieged or coveted by the ambitious and the powerful, from here and elsewhere.
A bit short…
Will the series broadcast on France 2 live up to expectations? Nicolas Duvauchelle (Polisse, The Well Digger’s Daughter…) will play Jean de Siorac; Simon Zampieri, his son Pierre; and Lucie Debay, his wife Isabelle de Caumont. Obviously, if we can fear a sentimental adaptation or a fashionable rewriting wokelet's not be negative right away. The challenge will nevertheless be significant, as it seems a priori It is difficult to reduce to six episodes what makes a literary series so interesting: the diversity of points of view – from the humble to the wealthy – the evolution and social elevation of the characters, the creation of an atmosphere and, above all, the subtlety of the language.
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And Robert Merle's main talent is certainly to handle it with the dexterity of an archer. The style is lively, sometimes dense, always brilliant; the author manages to mix styles and genres, French from the 16th and 20th centuries, popular and Occitan dialects – a dictionary is available at the end of the book (at random, “moussu: sir”, “galapian: kid”, “s'ococouler: to curl up”). Therefore, before the series is broadcast, it is important to delve into some of the thirteen volumes. With a guaranteed effect: to revive the passion for History, France and its characters.
Tonight at 9:05 p.m. on France 2.
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