Good King Dagobert (1984)
King's Dagobert I intestinal and sexual problems loom large as he survives an attack on his royal caravan then barely makes it to Rome to personally give thanks to the Pope. After he arrives at the Vatican, he becomes involved in the battle between two contenders for the papacy and has to face the machinations of a ruthless Byzantine princess.
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Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
When I first saw this movie in the 80's I loved it because it's a rare piece that illustrates the barbaric middle ages of Europe in a realistic manner. At first glance, it may seem crude to some with its nudity and humour, but this first impression dissipates with the consistent touch of silliness (Coluche style) that keeps you smiling. The ignorant, libertine and vulgar lifestyle of that period, intermixing with the influence of catholicism, are well delivered by Coluche and Serrault who make a wonderful team in this comedy. The mood of the movie is quite relaxed, it's as if the actors were having fun making the film. The dubbing might be annoying sometimes (franco-italian movies were common in the 80's) but it's only a minor issue that one can become used to. And finally, the music is quite amusing; the theme song is light and stays in memory for a long time :)
Why this movie got such a low rating at IMDB is beyond me. This is one of Dino Risi's most unusual and delightful films. This period of French history is barely covered on film and 'Good king Dagobert' is surprisingly realistic in showing the realities of early barbaric France. Movie's soundtrack is very good too - sort of a cross between John Barry and Michael Nyman.