Mein Onkel Benjamin (1973)

Dr. Benjamin Rathery is outraged: his sister Marie and Father Pierre-Louis have chosen a potential fiancée for him behind his back. Benjamin is supposed to marry Arabella Minxit, the daughter of the doctor and charlatan Minxit. She is tall and gaunt, with red hair and freckles, but she is a good match. Benjamin knows that Arabella is being courted by the aristocratic Vicomte Victor de Pont-Cassé, while he himself is in love with Manette, the married innkeeper—a love that is tacitly accepted, much to his sister’s displeasure. Since Marie has already told Dr. Minxit that Benjamin will visit, he reluctantly sets off with his brother-in-law Jacques to see him. On the way, they come across a sergeant and take him along. They stop at Manette’s inn and, over food and wine, forget to continue their journey. Marie turns up the next morning and pulls Benjamin out of Manette’s bed. She forces him to go and see Minxit with Pierre-Louis. Minxit owns vast tracts of land and a large estate, but Benjamin is little impressed. He is content with his modest circumstances and also refuses to go hunting with Minxit and Arabella. Instead, he sets off on a hike with Pierre-Louis. There, the two encounter the Marquis de Chatelot, feared by the common people. While Pierre-Louis bows obsequiously, Benjamin refuses to greet the marquis because the marquis has not greeted him, and addresses him informally when the marquis does the same to him. The marquis has him dragged to his castle, but refrains from physically punishing him. Instead, he humiliates Benjamin by making him kiss his bare behind in front of his men. Minxit sets out to rescue Benjamin and wants revenge, but Benjamin advises him against it. The marquis has more men, and a breach of the peace would cost them all dearly. Benjamin’s chance for revenge comes when the marquis swallows a fish bone at dinner and asks Benjamin, as a doctor, for help. Benjamin first makes it clear to the marquis that fish bones are poisonous and can kill quickly. Before providing the urgently needed help, he insists that the marquis kiss his bare behind in front of all his servants. The marquis reluctantly agrees. After Benjamin successfully removes the bone, the marquis also pays him a large sum of money, which Benjamin does not want to keep and intends to send back. He does not want the marquis to buy his silence. At the same time, however, Benjamin is sued by a creditor over substantial debts and sentenced to prison because he behaved improperly toward the court. Minxit buys his release from prison. Benjamin knows he has to come clean. He does not want to marry Arabella, especially since he realizes that she truly loves Vicomte Victor de Pont-Cassé. He writes Minxit a letter giving up his claim to Arabella’s hand. Even so, he cannot resist insulting Pont-Cassé over his aristocratic birth, and Pont-Cassé challenges him to a duel. Benjamin defeats him in the duel by means of a trick, but spares his life. A little later, Benjamin and Minxit learn that Pont-Cassé and Arabella have run away together. They follow them to an inn. It turns out that Pont-Cassé has started a duel there with another guest and has been killed. Arabella, who was pregnant by Pont-Cassé, has gone into premature labor and is dying. Benjamin goes to her, and she dies shortly afterward. Minxit is now a broken man. Knowing he has only a few days left to live, he invites all his friends to a grand feast at his home. He wants to be buried on his estate, but Pierre-Louis insists on a burial in the cemetery. The priest ultimately forbids the villagers to follow the coffin, so Benjamin and the sergeant—whom Minxit had hired to work on his estate at Benjamin’s request—are the ones who pay Minxit their last respects.