Ridicule /

Ridicule (French pronunciation: [ʁidikyl]) is a 1996 French film set in the 18th century at the decadent court of Versailles, where social status can rise and fall based on one's ability to mete out witty insults and avoid ridicule oneself. The story critiques the social injustices of late 18th century France, in showing the corruption and callousness of the aristocrats. The Marquis Grégoire Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling) is a minor aristocrat and engineer living in the Dombes, a boggy region north of Lyon. He is one of the few aristocrats who care about the plight of the peasants. Horrified by the sickness and death caused by the disease-carrying mosquitoes that infest the swamps, he draws up plans to drain them; however, the project is far too costly for him to finance himself, so he goes to Versailles in the hope of obtaining the backing of King Louis XVI (Urbain Cancelier). Just before reaching Versailles, Ponceludon is robbed and beaten. He is found by the Marquis de Bellegarde (Jean Rochefort), a minor noble and physician. As Ponceludon recuperates at the marquis' house, Bellegarde sympathizes with Ponceludon's mission and takes him under his wing, teaching him about