La máscara de Scaramouche

Great french movie with great Gerard Barray as Scaramouche in it. The movie proves that Mr Barray is one of the greatest actors. I think that there will never be better actors for historical movies all over the world than Jean Marais, Gerard Philipe and Gerard Barray.

This 60s French-Spanish co-production has all the flaws of the genre: an opportunistic approach lacking a vision. It feels very routinely shot by a sloppy operator. The main cast does an OK job even though it verges on the wooden side quite often.

This mediocre movie would deserve a kinder approach if the story had tried better to stay away from Sabatini's. As such the story is much weaker while at heart the plot is almost the same. I understand that it was difficult to stem away from George Sydney's magnificent 1952 rendition since this MGM gem does everything right and is all at once a swashbuckling, romantic and comic and dramatic delight.

The Commedia dell' Arte character is a buoyant man of murky origins and it takes a lot of talent to invent something different than the Hollywood-Sabatini one. That is definitely asking too much from opportunistic European producers who are satisfied aplenty with shooting a story set in Paris at the very distinctive Burgos Cathedral.

I remember I enjoyed this movie when I was 8 and was really impressed and moved by the scene at the cemetery, but now I see this scene is one gigantic directorial failure, mixing buffoonery, fantasy, grief, vengeance and remorse. No wonder these co-productions didn't mind about craftsmanship but only about shooting the bits together.

Cloak-and-dagger adventure film with Gerard Barray

This Spanish-French-Italian co-production, also known as "The Avenger with the Sword", was directed by the Spanish director Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi (1927-2017), who also directed "Our Man from Istanbul" (1965). Shot with Horst Buchholz. The theme song "Les Comediens" was composed by Charles Aznavour. The film was shot in Spain (Burgos Cathedral, Casa de Campo Madrid), which in this way represents France in the pre-revolutionary period.

It tells the amorous and other adventures of the juggler Scaramouche (based on the novel of the same name (1921) by the Italian-British writer Rafael Sabatini (1875-1950)) in the run-up to the French Revolution. Robert Lafleur (Gerard Barray, who turned 90 on November 2, 2021) is a juggler known as Scaramouche who performs in Paris with his troupe of jugglers and otherwise devotes himself to his countless love affairs with an infectious love of life. As a lover of the influential Madame de Popignan (Yvette Lebon, 1910-2014), he clashes with the Marquis de la Tour (Alberto de Mendoza (1923-2011), the super star of Spanish-language films), who is another favorite of the beautiful noblewoman. Scaramouche always finds refuge in the bed of the beautiful landlady Suzanne (Gianna Maria Canale, who was also in "The Lion of San Marco" (1963)), who is hopelessly in love with the busy philanderer. One day Scaramouche learns that the scar on his lush, hairy chest points to a family secret that reveals his origins, which surprise him. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious death occurs, through which Scaramouche meets the enchanting Diana (Michele Girardon (1938-1975), the Brandy from "Hatari" (1962), who unfortunately took her own life). When she is kidnapped and things get worse and worse, Scaramouche sets out with his friend Pierrot (well worth seeing: Gonzalo Canas, 1937-2012) and the other jugglers to save his new lover and uncover Scaramouche's secret ...

This cloak-and-dagger film has everything the genre has to offer. Beautiful women, wonderful costumes, tongue-in-cheek jokes and elaborate fight scenes that it's a joy. Gerard Barray, born in 1931, turns out to be the ideal choice. He glides credibly through the turbulent plot elegantly as a tough fighter and fiery lover. He is just as convincing as a charming womanizer who wears his shirts open down to his belly button so that everyone can marvel at his impressive chest fur, as he is as a sophisticated fighter who knows how to overcome his opponents with strength and skill. Particularly beautiful is the scene that shows Scaramouche practicing fencing with his friend Pierrot, who is literally "wet" by his vastly superior friend. Great fun! The many fight scenes and the wonderfully frivolous dialogues in particular make this film extremely worth seeing.

First thing to bear in mind is that ,although the director brings Scaramouche back to his native Italy,it 's not another adaptation of Sabatini's novel,as were both American films ,Rex Ingram 's and George Sidney's ,the latter perhaps lauded beyond its station.The screenplay seems rather a cross between two great successes of the French cinema of the late fifties/early sixties, "Le Bossu" (the usurper subject)and "Le Capitaine Fracasse" (the comedians ,in which Gerard Barray was cast as the villain ).

Gerard Barray was Jean Marais 's alter ego ,the one they cast when the latter was not at hand ;a poor man's Jean Marais nohow:Barray was a good thespian ,who performed on stage ;he displayed plenty of go,of humor ,of Joie De Vivre and had no cause to be jealous of Stewart Granger when it came to wielding the sword;he was certainly better than his material (swashbucklers,cheap spy thrillers,Commisssaire San Antonio.....)and by the late sixties ,he had fallen into oblivion.He made a conspicuous comeback as Duvernois,in Amenabar's "Abre Los Ojos" in the nineties.Michèle Girardon worked with Bunuel ("La Mort En Ce Jardin") and Hawks ("Hatari")but she is rather bland .One can prefer the Italian Ava Gardner Gianna Maria Canale ,with whom Barray had already made "Le Chevalier De Pardaillan" (1961)There's a good chemistry between them and she has the best line in the whole movie ("my castle looks like a tavern compared to yours"),and when she waves farewell to the new duke ,she seems to say farewell to her youth (4 years older than the hero)and to her career (which would end in the mid-sixties).Alberto De Mendoza is a delightful infamous villain.

This is no masterpiece,but a very entertaining yarn ,extremely eventful and melodramatic,including betrayals ,damsel in distress,an usurper,plenty of duels (still impressive today) and even a very good use of pantomime,to reveal the truth about the villain's crimes ,a la Hamlet; the masks are a smart narrative device .What does it matter if Notre Dame De Paris is actually a Spanish cathedral?On the other hand ,the Château De Chenonceaux is genuine .

Score by Georges Gavarentz;his collaborator Charles Aznavour wrote the song of the movie "Les Comédiens" which was a big hit in France and is still very known over here whereas the movie attached to it is virtually forgotten ;too bad Aznavour did not sing this tune over the cast and credits himself .

Robert Lafleur (Scaramouche) is an actor in 18th century France who spends most of his time, including when he should be on stage, light-heartedly having love affairs and generally enjoying life. One day, a marquis visits him and asks him questions about the birth mark on his shoulder. To cut a long story short, Robert Lafleur is not who he always believed to be, but before taking his rightful place, he has to charm quite a few ladies, save his lady-love from the villains, appear in various disguises, fight some duels and thoroughly enchant the viewer in this utterly enjoyable cloak and dagger movie.

Gérard Barray is the perfect Scaramouche, always a twinkle in his eye and a laugh on his lips!

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." (what the author Rafael Sabatini wrote about Scaramouche)