Sam Neill's appearances in the French Revolution: by Erika Grams, 1995 Approximate time is based on a continuous tape of both parts of the mini-series and reflects the hour and minute from the beginning of the tape. This outlines all appearances of Sam Neill as the Marquis de Lafayette and provides summaries and rough translations of the contents. This has been done since the English version of the mini-series has never been released. The French voice is a dubbed one, not Sam's. Time(appx) Scene: Content: 0h17m First meeting of the Etats-Generals at Versailles The young prince lifts himself up and the religious man beside him says: "That's La Fayette" -- "The Marquis de la Fayette? The one from America?" "Yes, sire, the hero of United States independence." 0h53m30s King arrives at the Hotel de Ville after the Bastille is stormed. Present while the mayor (as the king asks, up until then, there had been no mayor of Paris) presents the keys of the city to the king. After entering: K: And you Mr La Fayette, you have something to tell me? L: Your Majesty, the volunteers who have been mobilized for the defense of Paris have taken the name "Garde Nationale" (National Guard) and have designated me their General. K: Garde Nationale. L: But naturally I can only accept their nomination with your agreement. K: I congratulate you, M. le General. L: Sire, all Parisians who love liberty have adopted the colors of the capital: blue and red. K: I noticed. L: But I suggested/made them add the color of the monarchy: white. K: An excellent idea, M. de la Fayette. Excellent idea. L: If your majesty would please attach the cockade to your hat and the approval of the king that would suggest. K: M. de la Fayette, you can attach it yourself. 1h01m 26 August 1789 -- meeting of the Estates-General The M. de Lafayette is presenting and reading from the Declaration of the Rights of Man: "The representatives of the French people meeting in the National Assembly, considering that ignorance, forgetfulness or the misuse of the rights of man are the only causes of the public unhappiness and of the government's corruption, have resolved to explain in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of man. Please stand up sirs: Article 1: Men are born and live free and equal under the law. Social distinctions can only be founded in a common need. These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. The principle of all sovereignty essentially rests in the nation. Law has only the right to forbid activities harmful to society. Everything which is not forbidden by law can not be prevented. Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens are equal in its eyes and are equally admittable to places and public jobs. No man can be accused, stopped, or detained except in those cases as directed by law. All men are presumed innocent until declared guilty. Nobody can be harassed for their opinions, even religious. The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man. All citizens can thus speak, write, print freely except to answer for an abuse of that liberty in cases determined by law. The guarantee of the rights of man and citizens necessitates a public force. This force is thus created for the advantage of everyone. Property is an invioable and sacred right, nothing can deprive one of it, except when public necessity, legally established, declares it necessary. 1h15m The king refused to sign the declaration - citizens preparing to march to Versailles The mayor asks la Fayette to go to Versailles with the National Guard and bring the king to Paris (orders of the Commune). La Fayette replies that "We are the king's guard" rather than his abductors. 1h20m30s March and riot at Versailles in full swing Comes riding to Versailles and is handed a document and told that "As you can see, his majesty has signed it." "Your majesty's name as one of the greatest kings of France." Part of the riot was over bread and the king says bread and flour is on its way to Paris. L. introduces two men as members of the Commune. The people say they want the king's personal guard joined to that of the national guard. The king asks if L. can arrange it and he nods. People want the king to return to Paris. He replies he is tired and will discuss it tomorrow. Bids them good night. 1h26m15s In the middle of the women's attack on Versailles (pitchforks et al) L. comes in to the room where the king and queen are hiding and offers his apologies: "They assured me their would be no more violence." Queen: "You chose to believe them." The crowd outside basically begins demanding L.'s head saying that the king has already fled. L. tells the king he must speak to the crowd from the balcony or else they will have no chance of controlling them. Q. advises against (They'll kill you) and L. says he believes they don't wish the king any harm. The crowd starts shouting "Long live the king, long live La Fayette, bring the king to Paris." After the king leaves, L. speaks to crowd and says: "The king accepts. Return to Paris and king will follow." "He makes fun of us. If he we accept, the king will flee." L:"You have the king's promise." Heckler: "The king has already fled." In the next scene, the portraitist offers pictures of La Fayette (looking more like the 32-yr old real guy than Sam!) ;) 1h39m45s Festival at the Champ de Mars July 1790 He rides up on a horse and at top of steps: "I swear to always be loyal to the nation, the law and the king, to maintain the constitution decreed by the national assembly and accepted by the king. To assure, conforming to the law, the security of goods and people. I swear to be remain united to all French, the Parisians indissoubly bound by fraternity." (appx). I ask all of you here today to travel through the departements of France and give the same sermon. "I swear ..." "People of France, I ask you to listen in silence to the sermon about to be given to you by the king of France." 1h44m30s A.N. meeting after a nasty incident at Nancy Danton insults L. on basis of the incident where rebellious people had been put down by one of L.'s cousins, a marquis. And L. gets pissed but is held back. 1h50m Mirabeau's (deathbed?) He wants Danton and L. to be allies before he dies and to save the monarchy. L: "As long as I live, the crown will be safeguarded and the country will be a monarchy, I will reassure you. D. disputes it saying it will be a military state directed by L. "The aspirations you speak of are unknown. I will not lower myself to discussing this." D. says there is need of civilian control. L. asks if that means civilian control with profiteers and religious people oppressed (I think) and they come close to blows when Mirabeau stops them. "Try to work together. I can do no more." 1h58m30s Sleeping in bed -- 1791 Soldier comes up to tell him "The king has left." "Gone where?" "He fled with the queen and the entire royal family." (Sign outside Versailles: lodgings for rent). L. goes riding in. Danton tells him either get the king back or the people will want his head. The king or his head. "Can we arrest the king and queen in the name of Public Safety?" Mayor: "We have no choice. The A.N. has given us two hours." "Tres bien." He begins dictating: "The enemies of the revolution have kidnapped the king and queen." Mayor disputes and L. asks him if he wants a republic with no king, then begins dictating again repeating that they have been kidnapped and saying he who carries the message is charged with alerting all good citizens about the king's plight and to help return the king and queen to Paris. I myself take full responsibility." 2h06m30s Speech in the Assembly He declares that he has heard that irresponsible citizens plan to march on the Champ de Mars in order to reclaim the republic. He recommends that the assembly declre martial law in order to end all illegal assemblies. 2h09m30s Bad tape -- talking to mayor I think He is told martial law has been declared, that the manifestation is illegal and he has authority. He gets on his horse to ride off. 2h10m30s Marching with the National Guard toward the Champ de Mars Heading to the manifestation -- "In the name of the National Assembly I order you to disperse." Gunshot. "Let him go. Leave in peace. You know me. You can trust me" "Rejoin us Lafayette. You can trust us." "Don't make me use force." "You wouldn't dare." "Ready, set, above the head, fire." "It's a bluff" "You are citizens like us. You wouldn't fire on us." "Fire." L: "No stop." (after the firing has begun, ordered by a lower officer). 2h56m45s La Fayette's camp (August 1792) in Alsace The king has been deposed and a republic declared. La Fayette tells his staff: "From the bottom of my conscience I can find no comfort. I can not accept this government's legality. In Paris I have been declared a traitor because of my opinions. Me! La Fayette! Sirs, if refusing to serve these men who have destroyed everything, striking the crown and the constitution, then I am a traitor. Then, let calamnity triumph. I no longer have a place here. As to you, do what your conscience tells you. I don't intend to influence you. In the next scene, after he rides off, the king is told that Lafayette has deserted and is with the Prussians. After this, Lafayette escaped to Austria where he refused to renounce the revolution (he had wanted to maintain the monarchy -- the deposition of which he opposed and thus left France) and thus was put in jail. For more info, read Simon Schama's description of the period Lafayette spent in Austria in the book "Citizens". Sam does not appear again in the mini-series.