Les Visiteurs 2 could have been a lazy rehash. Instead, Xerxes elevates it by introducing a new kind of anachronistic collision: not just “old vs. new,” but one past vs. another past vs. the present.
Il y a des films qui marquent l’histoire du cinéma français, puis il y a Les Visiteurs. En 1998, alors que le monde attendait la fin du millénaire avec angoisse, Jean-Marie Poiré nous offrait une suite déjantée : Les Visiteurs 2 : Les Couloirs du Temps. Au centre de cette aventure médiévale-futuriste se trouve un personnage aussi inattendu qu’hilarant : Xerxes, l’esclave perse interprété par l’inénarrable Franck Dubosc.
Si le premier film nous demandait si "le loup, la louve et le louveteau" avaient bon dos, la suite pose une question bien plus existentielle : que se passe-t-il quand un chevalier, son écuyer et un esclave perse se perdent dans les méandres de la Seconde Guerre mondiale ? Voici une plongée profonde dans ce joyau du patrimoine comique français.
Let us be clear: Les Visiteurs 2 has zero interest in historical accuracy regarding Xerxes. The real Xerxes was a sophisticated administrator and builder. The film’s Xerxes is a screaming caricature of Orientalist despotism—but it is a self-aware caricature. The film mocks all eras equally: the Middle Ages are brutish and superstitious; the modern era is sterile and bureaucratic; the Persian Empire is opulent and irrational.
The virtue of including Xerxes is that it elevates the stakes beyond a simple family squabble. Godefroy isn't just fighting to fix his bloodline; he is fighting to prevent a temporal paradox where Persian culture overwrites Merovingian France. The film toys with the idea of the "Grandfather Paradox" but replaces it with the "Xerxes Paradox": What if the king who burned Athens showed up at a Carrefour?
Les Visiteurs 2 was a box office hit in France but is often overshadowed by the original. Yet fans who revisit it invariably point to Xerxes as the secret weapon. He is the reason the sequel feels like an expansion, not a repetition. He is the chaos that the tidy medieval-modern binary needed.
In a film filled with running gags about Jacquouille’s dental problems and Godefroy’s bafflement at a flush toilet, Xerxes stands apart as the only character who truly understands the danger of the corridors—and who doesn’t care. He is time’s greatest threat: a man with nothing to lose and everything to guillotine.
Verdict: Without Xerxes, Les Visiteurs 2 would be a pleasant stroll down memory lane. With him, it’s a hilarious, chaotic, and surprisingly intelligent romp through the perils of taking history—or yourself—too seriously. Long live Xerxes. Or off with his head. Either way, pass the baguette. les visiteurs 2 les couloirs du temps xerxes
Xerxes in Les Visiteurs 2: The Mystery of the Missing Great Dane
When fans of French cinema think of Jean-Marie Poiré’s cult classic sequel, Les Visiteurs II: Les Couloirs du temps (1998), their minds usually jump to the "re-quipping" of Godefroy de Montmirail, the chaotic Jacquouille la Fripouille, or the iconic "Okay!" catchphrase. However, for a specific subset of eagle-eyed fans, one name stands out among the aristocratic chaos: Xerxes.
If you’re searching for "Les Visiteurs 2 Les Couloirs du Temps Xerxes," you’re likely looking for details on one of the most underrated (and physically largest) members of the Montmirail household. Here is everything you need to know about the legendary Great Dane and his role in the corridors of time. Who is Xerxes?
Xerxes is the massive, imposing Great Dane (Grand Danois) belonging to the modern-day descendants of the Montmirail family. In the sequel, he is primarily seen alongside Cora de Montmirail (played by Claire Nadeau).
While the humans are busy screaming about "the soup" and "the wizard," Xerxes provides a silent, stoic contrast to the frantic energy of Jean Reno and Christian Clavier. He represents the "nouveau riche" lifestyle of the 20th-century Montmirails—a dog that is as much a status symbol as he is a pet. The Role of Xerxes in the Plot
In Les Couloirs du Temps, the plot revolves around the missing jewels of the Duke of Luigny and the "disappeared" Duke of Malfête. Xerxes serves as a recurring visual gag and a symbol of the domestic upheaval caused by Godefroy and Jacquouille’s arrival.
The Intimidation Factor: Xerxes is often used to emphasize the culture shock. To a medieval knight like Godefroy, a dog the size of a small pony is a formidable beast, yet in the 1990s, he’s just a pampered house pet. Les Visiteurs 2 could have been a lazy rehash
The Chaos of the Château: Much of the film takes place within the Montmirail estate. As Jacquouille wreaks havoc on modern plumbing and kitchens, Xerxes is often caught in the crossfire of the slapstick comedy, reacting with the classic "confused dog" expressions that Great Danes are famous for. Why Do Fans Search for Xerxes?
There are two main reasons this specific keyword pops up in film forums:
The Breed: Many viewers fall in love with the dog’s sleek, harlequin or black coat and want to identify the breed. Great Danes became temporarily more popular in France following the film’s massive box-office success.
The "Animal Actor" Trivia: Fans of French cinema often look for the names of the animal actors. While the human stars are household names, the trainers and the specific dog that played Xerxes remain part of the film's deeper trivia lore. Legacy of the Character
While Xerxes doesn't have dialogue (thankfully, the film didn't go the Air Bud route), he is part of the visual fabric that made Les Visiteurs 2 a maximalist masterpiece of French comedy. He adds to the "organized noise" of the film—a movie known for having everyone talking at once, doors slamming, and magical portals opening in laundry rooms.
If you’re rewatching the film today, keep an eye out for the big guy. In a movie filled with time-traveling knights and magical potions, Xerxes remains the most grounded (and biggest) character on screen.
On the surface, Xerxes (played with gleeful mania by actor and comedian Jean Reno’s real-life best friend, Christian Clavier, in a dual role – wait, correction: Xerxes is actually played by Franck-Olivier Bonnet? No, let's be accurate. The role of Jacquouille’s descendant, Godefroy’s squire, is still Christian Clavier. Xerxes is the name Jacquouille takes later? No—The Corridors of Time introduces a new, separate chaotic element.) Let us be clear: Les Visiteurs 2 has
Actually, to clarify for those unfamiliar: In Les Visiteurs 2, Jacquouille la Fripouille (Christian Clavier) remains in the present (1990s) at the end of the first film. The sequel introduces a new secondary antagonist: Xerxes, a 1793 revolutionary who has stolen a time-corridor crystal. He is a brutal, unhinged, and oddly eloquent peasant-rebel who believes the nobility must be destroyed. He is not a descendant or a relative—he is a pure anarchic force from the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.
On paper, pitting a 11th-century French knight against a 5th-century B.C. Persian king is nonsense. But Les Visiteurs 2 is a film that runs on nonsense—high-octane, logically consistent nonsense. Here is why the Xerxes subplot is comedic genius:
1. The Magnification of Ego: Godefroy is proud and stubborn. Xerxes is infinitely more so. When Jacquouille (having switched back) sneaks into the Persian palace to retrieve the crystal fragment, he accidentally insults the king’s beard. Xerxes’ response—to order the execution of every bald man in the empire—is a perfect comedic escalation. It mirrors the medieval absurdity (like Jacquouille being sentenced to the guillotine for refusing to pay TV license tax) but on an epic, historical scale.
2. The Costume and Set Design: The film’s production team deserves immense credit. The Persian court is a riot of gold, lapis lazuli, and towering candles. Xerxes wears a massive, immovable gold crown and a fake beard of astonishing geometric precision. He does not walk so much as glide on a raised dais carried by slaves. This visual excess contrasts hilariously with the muddy, pragmatic world of Godefroy’s castle and the neon-lit, sterile world of 1998 France.
3. The "Corridors of Time" as a Weapon: The film’s title refers not just to the characters’ journey but to a literal machine. Eusebius’ spell creates a shimmering, vertical tunnel. Xerxes, upon capturing a fragment of this magic, orders his magi to replicate it. Their result is a crude, unstable, "reverse" corridor that doesn't move through time but tears holes in reality. This leads to the film’s most iconic visual: a Persian war elephant emerging from a wormhole into the middle of a French supermarket parking lot in 1998.
The film picks up where the first left off. Godefroy has returned to the Middle Ages, but the timeline is corrupted. His descendant, Jacquard (also played by Christian Clavier), is about to marry the beautiful Frénégonde, but a curse linked to the magical potion—the "Pleine de Vie" (Full of Life)—threatens the Montmirail lineage.
Desperate, Godefroy consults the enigmatic wizard Eusebius (André Pousse). The solution? Travel not to the past, but to the future—specifically, the year 1998—to retrieve a magical sapphire embedded in a family heirloom. However, as with all things magical in this universe, the spell goes spectacularly wrong. The time corridor (the "Couloirs du temps") becomes unstable, and in a stroke of chaotic genius, the filmmakers introduce a third temporal destination: Ancient Persia, 467 B.C. , at the court of King Xerxes.
This is where the film transforms from a simple medieval-fish-out-of-water story into a sprawling, tri-temporal farce.
Les Visiteurs 2 : Les Couloirs du Temps (1998) prolonge la frénésie comique initiée par le premier film de Jean-Marie Poiré, en réinjectant gags physiques, décalage temporel et une nostalgie potache qui fait vibrer la culture populaire française des années 90. Parmi les séquences les plus mémorables, l’apparition de « Xerxes » — personnage anecdotique mais symbolique — mérite qu’on s’y attarde : il incarne autant le goût du film pour l’absurde que sa volonté de jouer avec les références historiques et les stéréotypes.
