Last modified: 2017-11-04 by peter hans van den muijzenberg
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These flags come from the movie "Les fêtes galantes" (1965) by René Clair, a franco-romananian coproduction. This comedy takes place in an unnamed state where we see the siege of the forteress of Allenberg by the army of the Prince de Beaulieu sometime in the 18th century.
Why this siege takes place is never made quite clear and neither is wether these are 2 different states fighting one another or a civil war. This is, of course, done on purpose as part of the humour comes from the satyre made of the "war in lace" era with whole armies composed of mercenaries that change sides (sometime more then once) and an officer asking his ennemy if they would mind stopping the fighting for the day so that they might go to lunch (all the while complimenting one another on their prowess and galantry).
As I said, the opposing forces are meant to be stocks
armies of the era and everything, from the name of
characters to the uniforms used, show inspiration from
various nations and so speculating on what countries
directly inspired the flags would be futile (though
fun).
Marc Pasquin, 17 May 2005
This flag is used by the forces of the Maréchal
d'Allenberg and is probably the most plausible looking of
the two seen in the film. It might be easily taken for a true military
colour, being a red saltire on white with the coat of arms
centered (blue bordered gold, an armoured arm holding
a sword surmounted by some type of crown).
Marc Pasquin, 17 May 2005
This flag, used by the army of the Prince de Beaulieu
might have been slightly inspired by the Spanish one
designwise: a horizontal triband (the central one
slightly larger then the other 2) gold-white-black
with near the hoist a tower and closer to the center 2
sword one over the other pointing in opposite
direction.
Marc Pasquin, 17 May 2005