The Lady and the Duke

The Lady and the Duke is a 2001 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer, based on the memoirs Ma vie sous la révolution (Journal of My Life During the French Revolution) by Grace Elliott, a Scottish royalist caught up in the political intrigue following the French Revolution. According to a description of the film in The Guardian, Rohmer's "customary verbal sparring and complex intellectual arguments are spiced by lavish sets, suspenseful plotting and the continuous threat of violence." Cast Reception The film was criticised by many viewers in France because of its uncompromising presentation of revolutionary violence; some described it as aristocratic propaganda. Asked about this, Lucy Russell remarked: "There does seem to be a great problem, not just in France, but every country has problems facing up to the nasty parts of its history. But there's a reason it was called the Terror."