Bertrand Tavernier hadn't meant for this period piece to be a comment on the restrictive and commodity-like nature of a woman's life, this is a fascinating--and beautiful--depiction of royal wheeling-and-dealing in 16th century France, in between various battles from the French Wars of Religion. The princess in question, though lovely, isn't overly beautiful, intelligent or wily, and yet four men are so passionate about her that their decisions about and behaviour around her cause them to lose dignity, prestige, or power of some kind. If Tavernier did intend to make a particular comment, then the ending is a sad triumph, rather than a meagre letdown, as the princess doesn't gain much more dignity, prestige, or power of her own than she had in the beginning.

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