The new Netflix show, a historical drama called Versailles, follows the life of Louie XIV and his dream of creating a palace outside Paris. The young king attempts to gain power over the stubborn French nobility, and show them his dream. Louis XIV harassed those of nobility who did not live up to the French standard of class, style, and courtship. He excelled France into the trendsetting, fashion forward country it remains today.
In the first season Louis XIV grows as a king and gains some backbone after using creative moves against his opponents, ending up on top. The show follows not only Louis XIV, but also his brother, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans. His passionate brother fights for his respect from the King, and dwells in the pain of war and emotional neglect. Along with the royal family, the show observes the problems of the court that reside in Versailles. From a historical standpoint the show hits on major themes and problems the French faced during that time period. The show illustrates the scandals manner that Louis XIV acted in regard to women and gender roles during that era.
The show follows various story lines, including that of those who hope to take down Louis XIV. Not only that, but also the life of two women posing as nobility who await their paper work. The daughter must seduce the King in order to hopefully be saved when their “nobility” paperwork fails to arrive. The daughter falls in love with a worker and feels the dilemma of following her heart or hopefully sealing her place in the royal court. Her mother constantly reminds her of the their unsolidified place in the castle. The Titanic, a movie about the sinking of a ship coming from England to America in 1912, follows a similar story of a woman forced to marry in order to save her family. Rose dreams of something more and feels suffocated by the formality of high-class society. Rose falls in love with a poor 3rd class passenger, Jack, who shows her how to truly live life.
The Luxe, a book about two young women, Elizabeth and Diana Holland, takes place in 1899 Manhattan. Their story follows a very similar plot to The Titanic. Elizabeth Holland must marry Henry Shoemaker in order to hide that her family lost all their money. Her prestigious reputation and good name, all that remains, must stay intact in order for her family to survive. This doesn’t stop her from falling in love with the stable boy, William. Penelope Hayes, Elizabeth’s best friend, loves Henry and will stop at nothing to make him her own.
The show Versailles also follows the life of not just nobility, but also the commoners. The Kings Doctor’s daughter spends her days analyzing and studying anatomy. Her natural instinct for healthcare dangerously shows itself when she saves the queen after childbirth. The King promotes her to the new royal doctor, but unofficially. During this time period women didn’t receive an education and therefore a women smarter then a man only means one thing… she’s a witch. Each time the royal family experiences health issues, the Doctor and his daughter fear for their lives. One mistake could not only end their career… but also their lives.
The Luxe also follows the life of The Lower Society. Elizabeth Holland’s housewife, Lina Broud, desperately wishes she lived as a socialite. Lina finds out Elizabeth’s secret lover and holds it over Elizabeth’s head. The life of a Manhattan socialite certainly isn’t all the luxury it seems. Elizabeth faces enemies at every corner who smile at her face then stab her in the back. “She should have known that villains often come with pretty faces” – The Luxe.
Rose and Elizabeth both feel the pressures of their families to enter a loveless marriage in order to remain in high-class society. Versailles, The Titanic, and The Luxe travel back in time to reveal the scandalous and heartbreaking dilemmas those of our past faced. Secrets, deception, and revenge fill these stories, keeping the audience on edge. Take a trip back in time with one of these stories.
Would you enter a loveless marriage to save your family?