King and the Mockingbird, The (1980)

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This film won the LOUIS DELLUC PRIZE 1979

THE KING AND THE MOCKINGBIRD

based on The Shepherdess
and the Chimney Sweep

by Hans Christian Anderson.

Certain passages including four songs

written by Jacques Prévert
and composed by Joseph Kosma

are taken from The Shepherdess
and the Chimney Sweep,

A film directed by Paul Grimault

and produced by Les Gémeaux
with André Sarrut.

A film by Paul Grimault

Dedicated to Jacques Prévert

Ladies and gentlemen...

Oh, forgive me.

It is an honour and a privilege
to tell you a story which, for once,

is absolutely true.

I know, because I was there
when it happened.

And I wasn't the only one.

I had happily built my nest

on the roof of the great palace

of the vast kingdom of Tachycardia.

In those days Tachycardia
was still ruled by Charles V

plus III making VIII plus VIII making XVI.

He wasn't a very good king.

He hated everyone.

And everyone in the kingdom
hated him right back.

He was a lonely king

and his favourite pastime was hunting

so, as you can imagine,
we weren't the best of friends.

HERE LIES MY BELOVED WIFE.

VICTIM OF AN UNFORTUNATE HUNTING ACCIDENT!

Congratulations!

His Majesty is a good shot.
What marksmanship!

Long live His Majesty!

m*rder*r!

I've said it once
and I'll say it again: m*rder*r!

And I have something to add:
you are an awful thug!

An awful thug, that's what you are!

There's no other way to describe you.

Think you can sh**t at poor creatures

and still be called "Majesty"?

How dare you, you pathetic bird brain!

Honestly, I ask you!

You're the bird brain, not me.

First floor: Pending Cases,
Litigation, Treasury,

Goldsmithery, Inland Revenue, Liquidation

Premium Bonds, Royal Family,

State Prison, Summer Prison, Winter Prison.

Hard Labour for Young and Old,
Armaments, w*r Ministry,

Undersecretary's Office in Peacetime,
Armoury, Fireworks,

Furs, Hosiery, Hats,
Helmets, Trumpets, Drums,

Police, Lavatories, Armed Forces,

Royal Printing Office,
Registered Post, Taxes

Solitary Confinement,
Dungeons and Catacombs,

Umbrellas, Casino,
sh**ting Gallery, w*r Museum,

Zoo, Gallery of Ancestors, King's Studio,

King's Hostel, Gallows, Royal Barber,

Royal Podiatrist,

Royal Steam Bath and Spa,

King's Chamber Music, and Trumpeters...

The new royal painter.

by appointment to His Majesty.



His Majesty's secret apartments.

"Secret" being the operative word.

♪ The donkey, the King and I ♪

♪ Tomorrow will surely die ♪

♪ The donkey of hunger ♪

♪ The King of boredom ♪

♪ And I of love ♪

♪ The donkey, the King and I ♪

♪ Tomorrow will surely die ♪

♪ The donkey of hunger ♪

♪ The King of boredom ♪

♪ And I of love ♪

♪ One day in May ♪

♪ Life is a cherry ♪

♪ Death is the stone ♪

♪ And love is ♪

♪ The cherry tree ♪

♪ Now, go to sleep, my little birds ♪

♪ My darling little birds ♪

♪ Now, go to sleep, my little birds ♪

♪ My darling little birds ♪

♪ My darling little birds ♪

♪ Your daddy's watching over you ♪

♪ He's watching over you ♪

♪ So go to sleep, my little beauties ♪

♪ Tomorrow is another day ♪

♪ Now, go to sleep ♪

♪ My little birds ♪

♪ My darling little birds ♪

♪ My darling little birds... ♪

♪ The King has trouble sleeping ♪

♪ The night is frightening him ♪

♪ He's scared of creepy-crawlies ♪

♪ And bats that fly at night... ♪

I don't like the King.

What do you expect?

You can't love everyone.

Especially if you don't know them.

What about you? Who do you love?

Me? I only love you.

- And you?
- I feel the same way.

I only love you.

You're the nicest chimney sweep I know.

And you're the prettiest
shepherdess I've ever seen.

Have you seen many?

No. Not even in my dreams.

Believe me. I know from experience.

I've told you a hundred times already.

You two aren't meant for each other.

To start with,

you're not even the same colour.

A shepherdess and a chimney sweep!

It's out of the question!

It's out of the question.

I have fallen in love with you,
little shepherdess.

And I am the King.

You must not waste your time
with that sooty cinder-boy.

I love you.

We must marry.

It's obvious. What are we waiting for?

- Right?
- There's no doubt about it.

Besides, that's what it says
in the storybooks.

The shepherdess

always marries the King.

There are no two ways about it.

Therefore I decree:

The ceremony will take place
this very evening in the palace

when the clock strikes midnight.

I have spoken.

Believe me, I know from experience.

They won't go far.
Everything is under lock and key.

And besides, there are no doors.

It's merely a little escapade
of no importance.

They'll soon be back, you'll see,

before you know it.

Where are they?

If I were to speak from experience.

I'd say they had gone.

I never thought that the sky
could be so beautiful.

Don't worry, the world is so wide,

they won't get far.

And they're so young!

They'll be afraid.

They'll be back.

In any case, you may
as well get used to it.

You can't get out of here, either.

We'll see about that!

Oh, there you are!

Congratulations! Good job!

A fat lot of use I can be to you
with a broken leg!

Imagine breaking the leg of a man of my age

and my worth!

It's bound to bring you bad luck.

I don't know why I don't give you
a good kick up the backside!

Police! Police!

Police! Police!

Long live His Majesty!

At your service, Your Majesty.

What do you desire?

A charming shepherdess
whom I have fallen in love with

has been abducted by a wretched
good-for-nothing chimney sweep.

I want... I command...

I demand...

that you find them as quickly as possible!

Oh, look! Little birds!

Thank you, chimney sweep.

How kind of you to rescue my little boy.

He's such a foolish boy.

He walked right into the trap.
and not for the first time.

By the way, my friends,

you'd better watch your step around here.

In fact the traps densely populate
this vast kingdom of Tachycardia.

There are child-traps and bird-traps and...

You're not listening.
You're looking at the world.

It's well worth a look.

Take it from me. I've travelled a lot.

I've been around the world.

Niagara falls.

The "Bells of Corneville".

The Tower of London.
Place d'Italie in Paris.

The Panama Canal and The Neuilly fair.

"The Wonders of the World", lesson four.

Come on, kids.

♪ The world is a true marvel ♪

♪ There is night and there is day ♪

♪ There is the moon and the sun ♪

♪ There are stars ♪
♪ and there are fruits ♪

♪ And there are windmills as well ♪

♪ The world is a true marvel ♪

♪ There is night and there is day ♪

♪ There is also the deep sea ♪

♪ And there is the earth, ♪
♪ as round as round can be ♪

Why is it round?

It's spinning!

Why is it spinning?

Because it's round.

Spinning? Where?

Around the sun!

Ah. That's strange!

It usually takes at least


It's because you're new here.
It did that to make you happy.

- It's a very nice world.
- Sure!

Attention, please!

A big reward...

Attention... Attention...

A charming shepherdess

and a good-for-nothing chimney sweep,

good for nothing at all,

are wanted by the police of His Majesty,

Charles V plus III making VIII

plus VIII making XVI,
King of Tachycardia...

Don't be afraid.

We've seen worse.

No need to panic.

If you get in a spot of bother, call me.
I'll come and sort things out.

How do we call you?

Just shout: "Mockingbird!" And I'll come.

Mockingbird!

We can't stay here. Follow me!

The elevator!

Hop on. It's going down. Leave this to me.

Gentlemen!

Shepherdess and chimney sweep? Big reward?

I'm your man.

Where are they?

Up there, up there gentlemen. Follow me.

Long live His Majesty!

The chimney sweep!

The shepherdess!

Long live His Majesty!

What use are the police if they
can't find the shepherdess?

Attention... Attention...

A big reward...

Attention... Attention...

A charming shepherdess

and a good-for-nothing chimney sweep.

good for nothing at all,

are wanted by the police of His Majesty,

Charles V plus III making VIII

plus VIII making XVI,

King of Tachycardia...

Arrest them. I've got them. In here!

Mockingbird!

They're there!

Arrest them!

I've found them!

They're there!

Arrest them! They're over there!

There they are!

Stop them!

Stop them!

Stay here!

Remember what I said. Beware of traps!

Bird-traps, rat-traps, child-traps...

Attention... Attention...

It is precisely twenty-five minutes

and thirty seconds past six o'clock.

Attention... Attention...

A shepherdess and a chimney sweep

have just entered the citadel.

Attention... Attention...

A shepherdess and a chimney sweep

have just entered the citadel.

- Who's there?
- Newcomers.

- What are they like?
- A boy and a girl.

He has blond hair and both have blue eyes.

- Young?
- Very young.

Hello, children.
Who are you? Where are you from?

Do you bring news?
Does the world really exist?

Does the sun really shine?

Yes. We've seen it.

What is it like?

It's bright and yellow.

It's golden when it rises
and all red when it sets.

We saw the moon too. We know how it works.

The bird explained.

The bird? They saw a bird too!

I told you, my friends. We are saved.

The world exists, the sun shines
and there are birds.

Life is wonderful.
We'll all see it one day.

Let the music play!

Mockingbird!

At last I have found you!

We will be married without delay.

It's in all the storybooks.

The King always marries the shepherdess.

Don't tell me you refuse.

Why?

Silly question!

She's in love with the chimney sweep.

The chimney sweep?

What? The chimney sweep?

Not him again!

Here's what I'm going to do
to that chimney sweep of yours!

No! No!

Say yes, just to stall for time.

I'll sort it all out later.

Stop! I'll marry you.

- What will you do to them?
- Don't worry. They'll be safe.

I'm going to put them to work.
It's the best thing for them.

You said they'd be free.

To work, my dear, is to be free.

Life is wonderful. The sun will shine.

Soon we shall see birds again.

ID CARD FOR VOLUNTARY LABOUR

Be patient. This can't go on forever.

Long live His Majesty!

The crime of insulting
the royal person. Let's see...

No clemency, article 28.

Violators of article 28 in here.

Bravo! Bravo!

Who spoke?

Someone said "bravo"? Who was it?

I did.

- Who are you?
- The Mockingbird.

A bird?

A real bird?
That's what the youngsters said.

It had to be true! A bird!

A great bird,

with feathers!

Multicoloured.

Do you know how to fly?

What a question to ask! Judge for yourself.

I hear the beating of his wings.

It's fantastic!

He's flying!

Don't get so excited. It's only natural.

And he can talk as well!

All languages. I'm an interpreter.

Polyglot, monoglot.

I speak fluent Toucan, English,

Latin and... Rabbit as well.

And Chinese and Parrot, naturally.

And Lion!

- Lion?
- Absolutely, Lion!

That's what I said. I can prove it too.

How extraordinary!

What did you just say?

I said: "Hello, my friends!"

"How are you doing?"

And what did they answer?

"Everything's terrible."

They said they were bored
in here and very hungry.

And so I said: "Enjoy your lunch."
Just to be polite.

But I shouldn't have said that.

Music!

Play something cheerful, for heaven's sake!

Otherwise, they'll devour him.

Devour who?

The chimney sweep! Who else?

The boy? He's here?

Yes. Play. Quick!

And the shepherdess?

The King took her.

- Why?
- To marry her.

Stop asking questions and play.

What a dreadful fate!

They were such nice youngsters.

Such a sad story!

They're big softies at heart.

You just need to know how to handle them.

My dear friends...

Good, brave beasts of the wild,

you have taken pity on this poor,
suffering chimney sweep.

How fine! How noble!

Congratulations. May we have some music?

Something powerful!

But as I was saying,

once you hear the whole sordid tale

behind this monstrous set-up

then, my feline friends,

I know that your righteous indignation

will not be confined

to the four walls of this wretched prison!

An innocent shepherdess
tending her sheep...

But who was she tending her sheep for?

Not for herself,

the poor child!

But for you,

my lion friends!

Yes, for you, my friends.

That's right!

This sweet shepherdess

was tending those fat, juicy sheep of hers

for you, my good friends.

When suddenly...

the King...

Do you know what the King did?

Well. My friends?

He kidnapped the shepherdess

who was tending her sheep.

And the sheep ran off
to the four corners of the earth.

The poor little creatures!

The poor, fat, juicy
and defenceless creatures!

Frightened and dishevelled,

livid,

at the mercy of storms,

threatened by avalanches,

rolling over the edges of high cliffs!

And those who escape

fall into the jaws of a hungry wolf.

What's that racket?

They're coming!

- Who's coming?
- The birds!

At last, the birds!
They're going to save us!

- The birds!
- Hurray!

Here we come, my friends.
Make way for the birds.

Hurray for the birds! Long live the birds!

How strange. That's not
how I pictured birds to be.

It's time.

The hour has come for the King
to marry the shepherdess.

The King stands with the shepherdess
under the red velvet canopy.

He's savouring his triumph.

At his side his dog stands
as proud as a peacock.

Powdered and bewigged
like an 18th century page boy.

It's a solemn moment.

The Lord Chancellor kneels

before his beloved sovereign

and with a smile of rare obsequiousness
he asks the usual question.

Does His Royal Majesty take
this humble shepherdess to be his wife?

I do indeed.

Do you accept. humble shepherdess,

the immense honour
His Royal Majesty does you

in choosing you for his wife?

Well, humble shepherdess?

Yes, of course. What a question!

You are now wed.

They are wed!

The Queen radiates happiness.

Listen to the crowd proclaim
with enthusiasm:

"Long live their Majesties!"

Long live their Majesties!

Happiness and health!

Prosperity!

And long live our future
princes and princesses!

Thank you. You have
done me a great service.

It's our little secret.

Madam, you are looking

at the happiest man in the world.

But not for long.

Don't try to escape.

All my birds are here,
not to mention the rest of them.

Don't be afraid, kids.
Daddy knows what he's doing.

What did I tell you, kids?

When Daddy takes things in hand,
everything works out fine!