The Rose of Versailles (1979)
ベルサイユのばら
aka A Rosa de Versalhes · Una spada per Lady Oscar · Berusaiyu no bara · Versailles no bara · Lady Oscar
Raised from birth as a man, the Lady Oscar commands the palace guards at Versailles in the years before the French Revolution. Her beauty and noble spirit make her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women but she is torn between her chosen life of service and duty to class and country and her own heart and desires. She lives as a noble amidst the opulence of Versailles but her keen senses and compassion are not blinded to the poverty of the French people.
Cast
Episodes
Summary
The TV special in its 22 minutes briefly covers the influential women involved in the series like; DuBarry, Polignac, Rosalie, Jeanne La Motte, Marie Antoinette and our Oscar. All the scenes used are taken from the series.
Summary
Film summary of the series.
Summary
General Jarjayes, deprived of the son he desperately wanted, names his newborn daughter Oscar and raises her as a boy. Now that Oscar’s reached adulthood, she’s vying for the position of Commander of the Royal Guards for Princess Marie Antoinette.
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Marie Antoinette’s marriage to Louis the XVI is set to occur soon and it falls to Oscar to ensure Marie’s safe passage across the Rhine River. Will Oscar be prepared for the dark conspiracy that seeks to ruin the wedding?
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New to the French court, Marie Antoinette is still learning proper etiquette in her dealings with the nobility when she accidentally makes a dangerous enemy.
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Marie Antoinette and Madame du Barry’s bitter dispute continues to strain relations between Austria and France. Oscar’s family is soon drawn into the dispute when Madame du Barry requests Oscar’s mother to be her lady-in-waiting.
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Pressure to acknowledge Madame du Barry’s presence at court continues to mount for Marie Antoinette, and she reluctantly accedes to the idea. However, Madame du Barry and Duke Orléans have begun to make plans.
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Marie and Louis-Auguste’s visit to Paris presents a great danger for them. Meanwhile, two sisters, Jeanne and Rosalie, dream of escaping poverty.
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Growing bored with Louis-Auguste’s self-indulgence, Marie decides to attend masquerade ball in Paris.
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An accident during horseback riding threatens Marie’s life and causes André to be issued the King’s harshest punishment.
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King Louis the XV suddenly becomes very ill, and Madame du Barry's devastation only increases as her fate becomes more and more uncertain.
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Louis-Auguste and Marie are crowned King and Queen of France but life continues to be difficult for the common folk. Meanwhile, Rosalie finds Jeanne amongst the nobility.
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When Marie begins to neglect her official duties in favour of basking in Count Fersen's affections, Oscar feels compelled to intervene.
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Unable to shake the memory of Duke de Guéméné’s cold-blooded murder of a young boy, Oscar confronts him. In response, Duke de Guéméné issues a challenge to Oscar - a pistol duel to the death.
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Oscar visits her family’s estate in Arras and makes a shocking discovery.
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Marie has grown exceedingly fond of the Countess Polignac, who in turn uses their friendship to obtain gifts and estates. This has alarming consequences.
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Unable to produce a male heir, pressure crushes Marie when Countess Polignac urges her to fake a pregnancy. As excitement for an heir grows, so does Marie's guilt.
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In hopes of finding the woman responsible for her mother's death, Oscar takes Rosalie to a local ball.
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Hearing of Rosalie from Oscar, Marie Antoinette calls on her to attend court in Versailles.
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While Oscar recovers from her wounds, Count Fersen visits Marie. However, Marie's joy is soon cut short.
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Rosalie learns the truth about her mother, which only causes her further grief. Meanwhile, Countess Polignac arranges for her daughter to be married.
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Rumors of Marie and Fersen’s love affair have spread like wildfire. As the gossip torments the two lovers, Oscar feels powerless to stop it.
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Preying on his obsession with the Queen, Jeanne has a lot of luck extorting money from Cardinal Rohan.
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Marie chooses to seek respite in her villa outside court, an action that angers nobles. Meanwhile, Jeanne is presented with an opportunity for a greater scheme.
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Jeanne and her accomplices stand trial for their plot against the Queen.
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A masked man helps Jeanne escape prison and publishes her scandalous memoirs regarding the Queen's indiscretions. As the common folk drink this gossip, the search for Jeanne gets more intense.
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Count Fersen unexpectedly returns to France two years after the war. As he stays at Oscar's manor to keep his return a secret from the Queen, Oscar struggles to face her own feelings for him.
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A masked vigilante known as "Black Knight" has started robbing the nobles at night and giving it to the poor. His actions are helping the common folk but a crime is still a crime, and Oscar hunts for this mysterious figure.
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While André recovers from his serious injury, Oscar continues to track down Black Knight.
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Marie is devastated over the Dauphin's sudden illness. Count Fersen and Oscar have an emotional conversation about their unrequited loves. André struggles to accept that he may lose his sight completely.
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Oscar is enlisted with the French Guards and is made the new commander of Company B, who have a reputation for being particularly rough.
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Radical revolutionary Saint-Just conducts assassinations on various nobles. Meanwhile, Oscar’s father wishes to wed her.
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With acts of terrorism on the rise, Company B are charged with protecting a visiting Spanish Duke. Unbeknownst to Oscar, one of the members of her unit is working with the terrorists.
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Alain accuses Oscar of betraying her comrades when a member of Company B is sentenced to be executed.
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Facing a debt crisis, King Louis the XVI is pressured to convene the Estates-General. But a more pressing matter is on the King’s mind: the failing health of Louis Joseph, the Dauphin of France.
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The Estates-General is in full swing. As support grows for the commoners’ faction, the nobility and clergy begin to take drastic measures. In conflict with her own feelings on the matter, Oscar is ordered to prevent the commoner’s from assembling.
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Oscar is found guilty of treason and her men are locked up, awaiting execution. General Jarjayes takes it upon himself to deal with his daughter.
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The Queen dispatches the Royal Guards to Paris and Versailles in an attempt to quell the growing discontent of the French people.
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Oscar's portrait is completed. She begins to take notice of André's feelings for her while uncertainty and riots surround them.
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Oscar and André have found comfort in each other’s love, but it’s a short-lived comfort. Right after returning to Paris, Oscar rallies Company B in support of the revolution.
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As Oscar struggles with the despair of losing André, the revolutionaries prepare to mount a pre-emptive strike against Bastille Prison, a symbol of royal tyranny.
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Bastille Prison falls shortly after Oscar is shot, marking one of the first major strides for the French Revolution. Five years later, Alain, Bernard, and Rosalie reflect on the shift in power and the lives that were lost.