Mandrin

Mandrin. Louis Mandrin.

Who was Mandrin?

A bandit, an adventurer,

a smuggler, an innovator,

a forerunner?

1750.

Louis XV, the Beloved, is starting to be hated.

The king wages war after war.

Taxes have never been so heavy.

The Bastille stands, the people are hungry.

The carriage!

The keys.

Do not dirty your dresses. All this is rented.

It heads back to Grenoble.

Get down from there, you must not be seen.

- Get down! - Why were we locked up?

- You would shame the country. - The country is us.

- Don't we have a costume? - They only rented 50.

They rent costumes, they buy the notables!

- I have to speak to the governor. - There he is!

Oh, Your Excellency, what an honor!

What an honor, Your Excellency!

The keys, where are the keys?

Clumsy!

I present our nobility to you, the viscount.

Those mountains are yours.

Mr. Churlet, our tax farmer,

Mr. Sigismond de Moret,

Our bailiff, our judge, our tax collector.

And now, the produce of the country.

- Never any cheese. - Too bad.

- Our centenarian. - Go on, madam.

- Our rosière. - Go on, madam…

Miss.

And finally, your servant, our mayor.

"Mr. Governor, we are honored to see you here,

“among us, you who, since the age of 6,

"have had your mind bent on the fate of our province…".

Take my place.

"Who tells you… who tells you…".

- What I think. - That is?

- I have to speak to him. - It is forbidden.

- I have to see the governor. - Stay here, or I'll split you in two.

- But I did nothing. - Exactly.

- Understand? Now it's fine. - It's not too bad.

"There is no province as happy as the Dauphiné."

"Here, everything is for the best in the land of Louis the Beloved…."

People are right to say "stubborn as Mandrin"!

- Aren't you with the others? - I came to get you.

I told you I would not go.

Even to do me a favor?

I do not want to be complicit in the masquerade.

You are insulting my father.

I beg your pardon, but it is not your father I am marrying.

If this goes on, you will not marry his daughter.

The Viscount de Chaulant is going to ask for my hand.

A simple cooper should make less fuss.

What are you going to do?

A simple cooper makes barrels.

It is forbidden to work, it is a holiday. It is forbidden.

Yesterday was the king's wedding anniversary.

The day before yesterday was Saint Bruno's day!

Louis, it is still time for you to come.

It is already time for you to leave.

You do not love me.

- It is politics. - Your ideas I hate.

And yet I have one you do not dislike all that much.

"I would not wish to abuse your precious moments.

"So, sure of being the voice of the country, I cry:"

"Long live Saint-Etienne-de-Saint-Geoirs."

"Long live the Dauphiné."

"Long live His Excellency the governor."

"Long live Louis the Beloved."

- Tell me, don't you hear anything? - Yes, you're right.

What does that mean?

What does that mean?

What does that mean?

What does that mean? Do something.

The choir.

IN THE PURITY OF NATURE

LET US LIVE HAPPY, YOUNG AND OLD

NO PLEASURES AND ADVENTURES

BUT ALL THE SILENCE OF THE FIELDS

DIVINE PROTECTOR OF THE KINGDOM

WE SALUTE YOUR MESSENGER

It's intolerable! Go see about that!

- Wait a minute. - Stop him!

Stay here, I told you. Wait a minute!

Do you want to come here?

Your Excellency, mercy!

Why is this man so dirty, is he the one making that noise?

I will remember your Dauphiné.

My name is Fleury.

They want to draft me. The cops beat me up.

They want to seize our house and send my father to the galleys.

He is crazy, though of quite a kind appearance.

Excuse us. Mr. Fleury has not paid his taxes.

- There is your mistake, my friend. - They lied to you, everything is going wrong.

The harvest was bad, they took everything from us.

- Fleury, you will pay me for this. - Always paying.

- I’m leaving. Bring my carriage forward. - Monseigneur wants to see our dances.

I’ve seen enough.

And since your town is so rich, you will pay another 200,000 écus.

But, monseigneur…

It is a regrettable mistake.

- And now, just the two of us. - Only you.

Stop him!

10 écus to whoever brings him back to me.

Don’t touch anything, everything is rented,

the sausages, the hams, the cheeses!

Here, climb in there.

- It’s full. - It’s my new wine.

- I’ll spoil it. - No you won’t.

- Open up! - Coming, coming!

Don’t drink it all.

There!

It’s good.

- Open up! - There.

- There's someone in your house. - It's me, Mr De Moret.

- We saw him. - The governor?

Don’t be insolent. Search the house.

First door on the left. If you want to visit the cellar.

- Don’t try to trick me. - If you prefer the attic.

Come on, let’s go.

- Nothing in there? - It’s all full.

That’s new wine. I was just about to taste it.

Listen.

When wine sings, it means it’s good.

It’s excellent.

But it has a slight taste, I can’t say what.

Generous, but a bit light. It lacks depth.

- It will improve. - If you give it time.

- Nothing, boss. - Keep searching.

If we find our man and you helped him, we’ll find you too.

Only the horns of an ox never meet.

The horns of an ox.

Will you shut up? You’re mad! Hey, Fleury!

Be quiet, be quiet.

Gentlemen, we risk losing everything by wanting to gain too much.

Turning our small town into a vision of paradise

- has led the governor to demand… - 200,000 écus!

Why are you shouting? You’re not the ones paying.

- Nor is the people. - Why then?

It will not pay without additional forces of…

Persuasion.

I like the expression.

Let's not lose focus, we need 200,000 écus.

Fresh forces of…

Persuasion.

80,000 écus.

That makes 280,000 écus.

300,000, I have expenses.

We all have expenses.

Shall we round it to 350,000?

Will these gentlemen take a piece of cake?

We were talking about it.

Dear little round and plump hand.

Oh, Mr Viscount.

Thank you. Your daughter is becoming more and more charming.

- When will you marry her? - Perhaps soon.

By the way, those de mail let

who disturbed your speech and that of the young ladies,

do you know who was providing them? Mr Mandrin!

- Who? - Mandrin, the cooper.

He says he was working.

At an official celebration, that is forbidden!

He has a rebellious temperament.

- The mayor protects him. - Me!

Haven’t you thought about him

as a son-in-law?

- How? - He is his cousin.

- The fellow is quite handsome. - I don’t think so.

Some should be careful, he is successful with women.

Starting with his cousin.

Take care of that rogue, my dear Mr De Moret.

I don’t understand.

They say you can read, you must be able to count.

I doubt it. It does say “1,000 écus” there, doesn’t it?

The arrears of your taxes, plus the fine, that is.

What fine?

My poor husband is dead, we had to cope.

But your son is not dead. He works!

Even on public holidays.

Plus the fine, i.e. 500 for the delay. That is the minimum.

How much of all this money reaches the king?

You inflate the figures to enrich yourselves.

You’ve got a sharp tongue, you’ll end up like her.

- Louis, you promised me. - What did he promise?

To find good in what is done badly.

Those 500 écus, what are they?

Insult to the governor: Working yesterday.

We don’t detain those who disturbed the ceremony,

nor the disappearance of Fleury from your side.

2,000 écus, where am I going to find them?

- Don’t get angry, stay calm. - Mr Mandrin?

Mr Mandrin?

What do you want?

They are taking Fleury’s furniture. They have arrested the father.

- You ordered this? - In the name of the king!

Poor king. Hold my hands, mother.