In the wake of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, two influential Frenchmen meet over a sumptuous dinner in order to determine the immediate future of their country. Fouché and Talleyrand, two owners of a long and labyrinthine resumé, both dislike and need each other. Together they discuss champagne, ideals, politics and power...
With "Le souper" the viewer gets a riveting duel of wits between two equally cunning frenemies. It's a fine opportunity to see two good actors - by coincidence, both of them called Claude - at the peak of their powers. Also a fine opportunity to hear a number of beautifully honed lines full of venom and/or insight.
The movie may contain its share of fiction, but it's a sobering reminder of the fact that knowledge, preferably about nasty secrets, does indeed equal power. Moreover, the movie illuminates yet another uncomfortable fact, to wit that giant societal, ideological and political changes impacting millions of people often find their origins in the random ambitions or petty concerns of a few individuals.
With "Le souper" the viewer gets a riveting duel of wits between two equally cunning frenemies. It's a fine opportunity to see two good actors - by coincidence, both of them called Claude - at the peak of their powers. Also a fine opportunity to hear a number of beautifully honed lines full of venom and/or insight.
The movie may contain its share of fiction, but it's a sobering reminder of the fact that knowledge, preferably about nasty secrets, does indeed equal power. Moreover, the movie illuminates yet another uncomfortable fact, to wit that giant societal, ideological and political changes impacting millions of people often find their origins in the random ambitions or petty concerns of a few individuals.