Eric Rohmer's 'L'Anglaise et le duc' Defends Anti-Terrorism Through Sadean Irony

In a 2001 essay for artpress, the author defends Eric Rohmer's film 'L'Anglaise et le duc' against accusations of being reactionary and politically incorrect. The film, set during the French Revolution, follows the royalist Grace Elliott. Critics condemned its royalist perspective, but the author argues that Rohmer's experimental form—mixing painting with digital video—cannot be paired with a regressive content. The essay contrasts Rohmer with Jean Renoir, whose 1936 film 'La Marseillaise' is dismissed as propaganda that dishonors cinema. The author redefines 'reactionary' as instrumentalizing art for a political cause, suggesting Renoir is more reactionary than Rohmer. The film is described as 'sadien,' linking Grace Elliott to the Marquis de Sade's characters Justine and Juliette. A key scene features Robespierre himself rescuing Elliott, which the author interprets as Rohmer's subtle irony: denouncing the Terror while exonerating its architect. The film ends with Robespierre's execution ending the Terror, allowing Elliott's release—a 'happy end' that the author sees as humorous and anti-terrorist. The essay concludes that no terrorist has ever shown such wit and fantasy.