The Lady and the Duke

A visually experimental but narratively lifeless French Revolution melodrama, The Lady and the Duke recounts events surrounding Louis XVI's overthrow and the subsequent violent aftermath, but does so almost entirely from inside the soundstage-like drawing rooms of an expatriate English woman (Lucy Russell), a genuine historical figure who is a stubborn supporter of the French monarchy, without actually having much in the way of real influence. Prolific Gaelic director Eric Rohmer (Autumn Tale) shot the film against blue screens with minimal sets, creating the oil painting-like world in which the action unfolds largely through computer-generated imagery in post-production. But while the technique makes this high-tech art flick a worthwhile curiosity on the moviemaking front (its style bears a low-budget resemblance to What Dreams May Come), its story is dull and academic, consisting of long, long, l-o-n-g conversations about the finer points and subtle dangers of revolutionary politics. Larger public and academic foreign film collections will want to consider because of Rohmer's stature, but others may safely pass. (R. Blackwelder)