France, 1815. After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon heads for exile. Royalists occupy Paris and attempt to restore the monarchy. However, the battle doesn't seem to be over. On July 6, Talleyrand, a shrewd politician of flexible convictions, invites chief of police and zealous revolutionary Fouché to supper and tries to convince him to serve the king. Over the meal they insult each other, accuse each other, and, at first sight, look like mortal enemies. But they definitely have one thing in common: they are both power-hungry.
Acting
Brasseur and Rich serve caviar-level shade for 90 minutes.
Writing
Every insult lands like a carefully placed landmine.
Production
One room, two men, infinite tension — pure theatrical economy.
Director
Édouard Molinaro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Claude Rich and Claude Brasseur had played these same historical rivals together on stage for years before filming.
Talleyrand's actual limp and Fouché's dead-eye were genuine disabilities the real men weaponized as political theater.
FR
