Fanfan la Tulipe

Fan-Fan (Gérard Philipe) is a bit of a rogue and lived during the time of the Seven Years' War (in America, it's known at "The French-Indian War" but only refers to the fighting on our continent). I loved the prologue that sarcastically talked about how wonderful war and death were! Well, in the midst of this long blood-bath (that took about a million lives), Fan-Fan joins the army in order to avoid being forced to marry a girl his despoiled (and you would assume that he's done this before). The idea of doing this came from a very sexy lady (Gina Lollabrigida) who pretended to read his fortune and she actually was the one who suggested he enlist. The rest of the film consists of Fan-Fan nearly being hung or stabbed and surviving only with his good looks, sense of adventure and athleticism.

I am a huge fan of French cinema and I really wanted to love this film. However, after a while I realized that the film, while watchable, was something of a disappointment. That's because this is a case where Hollywood actually did this sort of film better. Now this is NOT to say they always did it better, but around 1952 Burt Lancaster was making similar films ("The Flame and the Arrow" and "The Crimson Pirate") dandy films that were very similar to "Fan-Fan" and were also better. Why? Well, while "Fan Fan" was athletic and charismatic, Lancaster was perfect for such roles--with an even greater level of athleticism and sex appeal. And, while it's not THAT important, Lancaster's films were in color and had better production values. Compared side by side, "Fan Fan" is just a bit flat.

While today I would clearly choose to watch the average French film over the average Hollywood product, back in the 40s and 50s, Hollywood did actually seem to often get things right.

Fanfan la Tulipe is a 'swashbuckler, romantic comedy' set during the French revolution. Filmed in 1952, the film was a great success in French cinema which then coined the years of swashbuckler classics. The film revolves around a central character 'Fanfan la Tulipe' who has himself a reputation, not just for being a noisy and boastful swordsman (a swashbuckler) but the audience also gets the impression very early on in the film that he is somewhat of a hit with the ladies. This is then emphasised a couple of minutes into the film, when he alludes himself into thinking that he will marry the King's daughter. Fanfan la Tulipe is a very liberal character who rarely abides by the rule of others, and instead chooses to do his own thing.

The film commences with a narrative like style, which is carried on throughout the film. The main narration happens at the beginning and at the end of the film, but occasionally in the middle of the film we hear the narration once again, sometimes helping the viewer to tell what is going on, and directing the view to certain objects in the scene. In a way it summarises what is going to happen in the next part of the film.

The film does not leave any long lasting impression on one's mind after you have seen it, but all in all it is a very easy film to watch. The not so subtle wit from nearly all the characters, and the unperturbed nature of Fanfan La Tulipe (even in the most difficult of situations) help to make this film the unchallenging piece of cinema that it is.

Having said that, albeit an easy film to watch, it is an important film of its time, and also a great source of amusement.

This is a tongue in cheek movie from the very outset with a voice-over that pokes fun at everything French and then produces a rather naif but very brave hero in Fanfan La Tulipe. Portrayed by the splendid Gerard Philippe, the dashing young man believes utterly in the fate curvaceous Lollobrigida foretells - notably that he will marry King Louis XV's daughter! Problem is, La Lollo soon find outs she too is in love with Fanfan...

Propelled by good sword fights, cavalcades, and other spirited action sequences the film moves at a brisk pace and with many comic moments. The direction is perhaps the weakest aspect but the film is so light and takes itself so un-seriously that I could not give those shortcomings a second thought. Look out for Noel Roquevert, a traditional heavy in French films, trying to steal La Lollo, making himself a nuisance, and feeding the script to the fortune teller that reads La Lollo's hand! And what a gem Marcel Herrand is as the megalomanous and lust-driven King Louis XV! That is not all: So many beautiful women in one film makes me wish I were in France and on the set back in 1952! The film may have come out that year but its verve, cheek, superb narration, immaculate photography and the memorable Gerard Philippe ensure that it remains modern and a pleasure to watch. I would not hesitate to recommend it to my grandchildren let alone to anyone who loves movies in general and swashbucklers in particular! Do see it!

There's much to enjoy in this joyous French swashbuckler, particularly since it doesn't contain one slow moment. The action is almost nonstop, and all the performers contribute hilarious and heartfelt moments that make "FanFan la Tulipe" a delightful romp. It was a huge box office hit in France, turning both the handsome and charismatic Gérard Philipe and the beautiful and voluptuous Gina Lollobrigida into big stars.

The story is set during the reign of King Louis XV, and the character Fanfan as played by the splendid Gérard Philipe is sort of a French "Tom Jones." He's a guy who can't help but get in trouble with the ladies, and the opening scene has him escaping a "shotgun wedding" by spontaneously enlisting in the French military. Unfortunately, soon this way of life doesn't agree with Fanfan, and he winds up getting himself even deeper into trouble. Gina Lollobrigida plays the seductive daughter of the Commanding Officer of Fanfan's unit, who inspires Fanfan by making an unusual prediction for his future -- one which she later comes to regret.

The choreography of the sword battles and the other physical confrontations are top-notch, very unpredictable and absolutely hilarious. A stunt double was hardly (if ever!) used for the athletic Philipe, and it's obviously the French star doing most of the work. I heard that the actual stunt men working the movie presented him with an certificate when the shooting wrapped, which named Philipe as an honorary stuntman himself. Most of what Philipe accomplishes here has to be seen to be believed. Jumping from rooftops, dangling from trees, wild horseback chases and so much more lend a wild energy to the proceedings.

Perhaps the only downside for me at least was that "Fanfan la Tulipe" is filmed in black and white. If ever there was a film that cried out for color -- this is the one. The locales, costumes, sets and props would have been magnificent in color, I think. In fact, on the Criterion DVD that I watched, they included one sequence that had been colorized. It looked great, and although I would never suggest that every b&w film would be better with color, this one certainly would. For those unaware, the colorization process has made great advances since the 1980's, and they can now make the colors look as vibrant or as subtle as the scene dictates it should be.

The supporting cast also provides lots of enjoyment, and I'd be neglectful not to mention a few of these fine European actors. Geneviève Page is supremely beautiful, icy with an undercurrent of passion as Madame Pompadour, Olivier Hussenot is wonderful as Fanfan's loyal sidekick who's saddled with six small children and an obese peasant wife. Nerio Bernardi makes a comically despicable antagonist who meets a poetic fate eventually.

So, I'd highly recommend this to fans of Errol Flynn movies, especially since Philipe conveys some of the same boyish and naughty charm of that classic star. Director Christian-Jaque formed an adventurous and romantic comedy that has loads of charm and thrills. Swashbuckling at its best!

***** out of *****

The superb star quality of Gerard Philipe, who died way too young, leaps from the screen in this witty, funny, sly swashbuckling comedy with plenty of sword fencing and knockabout antics. Charmingly loopy in its' storytelling, impossible to resist. A sweet romantic comedy with a very young Gina Lollobrigida as the love interest. A movie one will remember with great affection.