Scenes from "Henri 4" BR720 [2010, France, Germany, Czech, Spain]

Jo Baier's action-packed historical epic, "Henri 4" [Eng. Title: Henry of Navarre] is the story of Henri IV - one of the most beloved kings of France.

The film is nearly two and a half hours long, but not for a moment does it get tedious - as absorbing as a Paul Verhoeven classic from a different era, "Flesh+Blood" (I have the DVD which I'll review later). But "Henri 4" is not just entertainment, it is also ambitious in its scope - the film manages to cover all the momentous events during the period without too much fudging. The interpretation may be a bit subjective, but despite that I'd rate it slightly higher than an earlier French film covering the same history, "La Reigne Margot". Very well directed and executed, "Henri 4" is a high-vale production, with stunning cinematography, art direction, set design, sound engineering, costumes and makeup. This is a thoroughly enjoyable film and the quality in the blu-ray version (from which this compilation was made) brings forth all the crews efforts. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon Blu-ray Link




Storyline:
I will keep it brief as there's tonnes of material out there concerning Henri IV. The film follows his rise from a young Protestant prince of impoverished Navarre (as Henri III), to the Catholic King of all of France (as Henri IV). It covers his upbringing, training, philandering, his loves, the numerous political assassinations and coronations, wars, his conversion to catholicism, the bloody St.Bartholomew's Day massacre, and also his death. I've inserted some wiki-links for those interested in further reading on Henri IV.

 

Compilation: Eliška-Bejrová, Armelle Deutsch, Chloé Stefani, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, and Aida Folch



Scene Guide:

• We are introduced to the grown-up Henri having fun with one of his peasant friends when his doting mum enters the tent and complains about 'a fishy odour' - she asks him to come and see the admiral. I'm fairly certain the actress playing the friend is Eliška Bejrová.
• The audience are introduced to princess Margot getting punished by her brother King Charles IX and mother Catherina de Medicis - for sleeping with their rival Henri de Guise. The kinky scene gives us a picture of the royal family's dysfunctional nature (to say they least - Margot's other brother had gone further). The mother tells Margot that she is to marry Henri of Navarre. Margot is played by Armelle Deutsch.
• Awesome scene - Henri discovers that Margot is one feisty woman who requires a forceful man to handle her. The wild sex scene that ensues is hot as hell and their competitive nature is established. And those dark hardened nipples of Armelle Deutsch is a sight to behold..! ;)
• The night after their wedding, Margot welcomes Henri with a convenient gown - wedding guests party below while the newly weds have their own party. Some uncredited T&A's also appear in the scene.
• Barely six days after the wedding - a horrific incident takes place when the Catholic queen's men slaughter Protestant Huguenots in Paris, most of them wedding guests. An angry (Protestant) Henri vents his anger by having rough sex with Margot. She later informs him that he wouldn't be able to leave Louvre - that was the condition with which he was left unharmed.
• After escaping from Paris, Henri meets Gabrielle, and instantly falls in love. During one of his campaigns, Gabrielle enters his tent to cheer him up before battle. In return for her favours, she asks that her family receive Henri's patronage when he becomes king. Gabrielle is played by the lovely Chloé Stefani. Henri rejoins the Catholic fold at the end of this scene.
• Gabrielle persuades Henri into making her father a artillery colonel.
• A pregnant Gabrielle with Henri.
• After Gabrielle and her unborn child die, Henri gets married in absentia to Marie de Medici upon the Pope's wishes. When he meets her for the first time, he forego's formalities and any sense of occasion, and gets straight to the business of making an heir. A bewildered Marie obeys. Marie is played by Gabriela Maria Schmeide.
• It's celebration time when the first child is born, an appreciative Henri and a disconcerted Marie watch dancer Henriette perform a dance of the veils with nothing but transparent clothing. Henriette is played by Aida Folch.
• More see-through nudity when Marie barges into Henriette's apartment to check if husband Henri "the horny old goat" is there. Marie forces Henriette to disclose why she came here. She confesses it was Henri's ex-wife Margot who sent her. But did Marie find what she came looking for..!

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