Boris_G I first saw this film - attracted by the fact it includes the excellent Timothy Dalton, a film score by Gabriel Yared, and Frederic Raphael as one of the screenplay writers - in the much abridged 90 minute version released on a Spanish DVD (fortunately including an English soundtrack). Even from this - which cuts at least 40 minutes from the original version - I could see this was a beautifully filmed and excellently acted drama. It also explains why so many comments here at IMDb suggest that the story is psychologically implausible. A more complete version of the film has just (in 2008) been released in France (lasting 127 minutes - alas for English speakers dubbed into French and naturally without subtitles): from this it is evident that for the 90 minute version bits were trimmed here and there almost throughout the film. So seeing something approaching the complete film is a revelation - a much harder and more cynical view of the main characters (particularly the king and his mistress), and it is clear that Valeria Golino's character *never* forgives the man who so grievously betrayed her (I'm expressing it in this way to avoid creating a 'spoiler'), but in fact exploits him in the end for her own purposes. All of which makes the genuine love which grows between the central characters all the more poignant and moving - there's a sense of something beautiful which has been warped and made into a destructive force by their social circumstances and the collision between social principle and unbridled yet illusionary 'power'.Strangely enough, the French version, though more complete than the Spanish, cuts some scenes which appear in the Spanish version (one scene in particular adds a certain spice to Golino's character when the viewer is more aware of her motivations from the longer version of the film): so until either the complete German version is released, or a complete English language version is released, those who love this film will have to buy both the Spanish and the French DVDs.

lwfusco this movie has hit many of life's little dramas we all have around us. it's just like a friend you haven't seen in a long time that's catching you up on the latest news. it is not overly acted. the other title, 'the king's mistress', is more of a front of the store movie name than it is the back room like the original name, 'the king's whore'. but, i believe, 'whore' is the better of the two titles. they all play realistic parts and it's easy to keep up with. the feelings the actors portray seem quite sincere. the life emotions that are brought to the screen make this one of the most involved movies i've seen in years.oh, the 'jane eyre' with timothy in it was more of a play an amateur would put on compared to this movie. the 'jane eyre' with george c. scott and orsen wells were both much better versions.

jgarner136 The best part of sitting through this movie was Timothy Dalton. The worst part was the character he played."The King's Whore" could have been a great movie. It had a lot of good things going for it, but somewhere along the way it got boring. The characters even seemed to get bored and quit trying to carry the script. Or maybe the script just went on too long. Either way, the movie didn't end. It just quit.*May Contain Spoilers* The beginning of the movie was very good. We meet Jean and Charles, the man she marries, and see her meet the king, and the king becoming obsessed with her. She tries to avoid him, to no avail.The king was so obsessed by Jean that he let everything else go, and ends up committing suicide. Jean loses her husband and son, even though the only reason she became the king's mistress was to keep the family in good graces. She ends up alone.The middle of the movie is simply silly.The only redeeming thing in the whole movie is Timothy Dalton in costume. Too bad the character he plays is so lame.

mina This movie is deep and has meaning. it's about a woman that won't acept a man that loves her deeply, he's a king and he's handsome he gives her everything she wants you might ask yourself what the problem is well she's afraid of he's love and she loves him to but won't let herself or him know that fact.intresting movie and touching.