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Delusions of Grandeur (La Folie des grandeurs)

Movie · 1971 · 3 people

Gérard Oury directed Delusions of Grandeur (French: La Folie des grandeurs) in 1971, a historical comedy made as a co-production between France, Italy, Spain and West Germany. Very loosely adapted from Victor Hugo's play Ruy Blas, it stars Louis de Funès and Yves Montand.

The action unfolds in 17th-century Spain. Don Salluste, the king's grasping and two-faced Minister of Finance, falls from favour and is banished from court by the Queen. Obsessed with revenge and desperate to reclaim his office and riches, he turns to his former valet Blaze: since the young man is helplessly in love with the sovereign, Salluste dresses him up as a nobleman and smuggles him into the palace, scheming to entangle the Queen in scandal.

Oury conceived the project in 1960 while acting in the play at the Comédie-Française, and the triumphs of Le Corniaud and La Grande Vadrouille made it possible. Bourvil was meant to play Blaze, but his death in September 1970, just before shooting, led Oury to cast Yves Montand on Simone Signoret's advice. Filmed in Spain and France, including the Alhambra palace in Granada, the picture opened in December 1971, sold over five million tickets in France and grew into a beloved classic through television reruns.

DirectorGérard Oury
Production companyGaumont Yapımevi

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Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Karin Schubert Karin Schubert Actor · 81 years old Venantino Venantini Venantino Venantini Actor · died at 88 Sal Borgese Sal Borgese Actor · 89 years old

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Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Adapting Hugo's Ruy Blas very freely, Gérard Oury turns the machinery of intrigue into an engine for comedy. It's an interesting choice: Don Salluste's revenge plot fits neatly into the classic master-and-servant comic dynamic. Louis de Funès's explosive physical comedy is the film's main source of energy, while Yves Montand, as the lovesick valet smuggled into the palace, gives him a balanced counterweight. Shooting at the Alhambra lends the period piece genuine visual richness. Still, the comic scenes often play like routines strung one after another; the narrative rhythm is left at the mercy of the gags, and the satire of court life never gets sharp. Its cult status, I'd say, owes most to the charisma of its stars.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

Delusions of Grandeur is a classic comedy where Louis de Funès gets laughs with his flustered energy and wild gestures. Kids and grown-ups alike can laugh. There's palace scheming and a plan to drag the queen into a scandal, but the tone stays light. The palace settings are lovely to look at, too. Little ones may find the plotting hard to follow, though. One for the whole family on a holiday afternoon.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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