The new event series from France 2, Fortune de France, is a historical fresco, adapted from the cult saga by Robert Merle, in the torments of the great history…
Fortune de France, scheduled on France 2 from Monday, September 16, 2024, takes the gamble of a journey through time and into one of the most troubled periods in French history. The scenario takes place in the 16th century, in the heart of the religious wars that tore the country apart. A troubled period during which Catholics and Protestants clashed violently, against a backdrop of dynastic succession between the Valois and the Bourbons. A historical context as true as it is burning.
But Fortune de France mixes the great story with the small, a fiction this time, which borrows from a famous literary saga, that of the writer Robert Merle. Published from 1977, the series of novels “Fortune de France” thus relates the destiny of a fictitious provincial family, the Sioracs, through this pivotal moment in history. A vast work of thirteen volumes that has captivated generations of readers. The first six volumes, which extend from 1559 to the Edict of Nantes in 1598, constitute the heart of this breathtaking story.
To bring this historical picture to life, the series was filmed entirely in Dordogne, the Siorac family’s homeland in the novels. A meticulous reconstruction to be as close as possible to the atmosphere and plot imagined by Robert Merle. The sets, the costumes, the dialogues: everything was designed to faithfully recreate the universe of the literary saga.
A 6-episode mini-series re-adapted
But if the historical background has been generally respected, adapting the literary work, when it is as vast and old as that of Robert Merle, also requires a part of reinvention. As Christopher Thompson, the director, explained in the media, the view taken on this period has changed in fifty years. The series thus takes some liberties to modernize the story, without however betraying its spirit.
The six episodes of Fortune de France therefore take some liberties with Robert Merle’s books, starting with the choice of a main character. The series particularly follows in the footsteps of Pierre de Siorac, one of the sons of the family. The female characters, in particular, gain depth and agency. This is the case for Isabelle de Siorac, the mother of the family, who finds in her Protestant faith a way to assert herself in a patriarchal world. Similarly, where the novels focused on two Siorac brothers, the series features three. A choice that allows us to explore in depth the motif of the fratricidal war, which rages in the country as well as in the family castle.
“We remain faithful to the spirit of the novel, but we have in particular extrapolated the story around three brothers instead of two, because that allowed us to enrich this idea of a fratricidal war, both inside the castle and outside. There is also this idea that this war between Catholics and Protestants even invites itself into the Siorac couple”, indicated the director in an interview published on the CNC (National Center for Cinema) website. And to assure that the children of Robert Merle, “who are guarantors of their father’s work, [lui] have trusted”.
What does Fortune de France say?
The synopsis of Fortune de France: in a time when Protestants are hunted down, Jean de Siorac (Nicolas Duvauchelle)
and Jean de Sauveterre (Guillaume Gouix) have retreated behind the ramparts of Mespech Castle. Between religious tensions with Isabelle (Lucie Debay), Siorac’s wife, a devout Catholic, and the threat of a hostile neighbor, their home is in peril. As the king’s investigators approach, a family secret resurfaces, upsetting the newfound tranquility.
While Siorac returns to the fight, on bad terms with his wife, the castle of Mespech is quickly threatened by Fontenac, allied with bandits from beyond the Pyrenees. Isabelle and Sauveterre join forces and must organize the defense of the estate, while Pierre, Jean’s brother, gets closer to his brother Samson…
The casting of Fortune de France
Fortune de France stars Nicolas Duvauchelle (Jean de Siorac), Guillaume Gouix (Jean de Sauveterre), Lucie Debay (Isabelle de Caumont), Grégory Fitoussi (Baron de Fontenac), Blandine Bellavoir (Cathou), Antoine Gouy (Gamelin ), Simon Zampieri (Pierre de Siorac), Lou Lampros (Hélix), Angelina Woreth (Diane de Fontenac), Marcel Thompson (François de Siorac), Ophélie Bau (Franchou), Louis Durant (Samson), David Ayala (Cabusse), Isabelle de Hertogh (Maligou), Émilie Incerti (Barberine)…