In 1967,Michèle Mercier told the "Paris Match "journalists that there would be more Angéliques after this one.She said that ,at the end of this oriental saga,the heroine would be arrested by Desgrez,the King's favorite cop,and that poor Joffrey would have nothing to do but sail away...
But,it was not to be.Bernard Borderie filmed the last two episodes ("Indomptable Angélique and" Angélique et le sultan" which are actually adapted from the same book ,the title of which is that of the former)together ,then divided his footage into two parts,making the first film some kind of trailer for "Angélique et le sultan"which is not a good movie for all that.Far from Golon's brilliant depictions,it often gets ridiculous.French Jean-Claude Pascal as an educated eunuch is guaranteed to net nothing but horse-laugh.the dialogue follows suit:Angélique to the sultan during the fatal Night :"But,here,you do not want to rape me,do you?"
The Angelique film saga thus stopped here,whereas there are thirteen books in all.No actress tried to take on the character.They used to talk ,in the nineties,about a TV series.Then Robert Hossein took the first book to the stage in the mid-nineties,taking on his former part of Peyrac .But Angelique's fans (of the books!)are still waiting for a strong adaptation of Anne et Serge Golon"s magnificent books,easily the best historical adventures since Alexandre Dumas.In France,their names are slowly fading,but in Canada,they retain a cult of followers.More power to them.
NB:There is a Turkish version of the book:"Angelique in the Ottoman palaces".I've never seen it.
