Surcouf, le tigre des sept mers

A good clean fun with a legendary corsair against the British navy . Thrilling swashbuckling who launched Gerard Barray to fame at an acceptable role in which he becomes a notorious corsair . Enjoyable production packs enough thrills , breathtaking sea battles , tempestuous romance and exciting situations for a good time . An agreeable as well as fun Gerard Barray swashbuckler about the famous Corsair , Surcouf , "The Sea Pirate" . This classic story of romantic adventure by Roy Rowland , filmed in Spain , comes to life enriched by Eastmancolor photography and being freely based on historical events . It is set during the Napoleonic Wars , it was common to distinguish verbally between privateers (also known as private ships of war) on the one hand, and armed merchantmen, which were referred to as "Letters of Marque", on the other, though both received the same commission . In addition to the term Lettre de Marque, the French sometimes used the term Lettre de course for their Letters of Marque. A "letter of marque" generally refers to a lumbering square-rigged cargo carrier that might pick up a prize if the opportunity arose . It deals with Surcouf (Gerard Barray) about to marry his bride , Marie-Catherine Blaise (Genieve Casile) , but opposite to her father (Jose Maria Caffarel) , he then flees and aboard a ship with a motley crew (Luis Barboo , Gerard Tichy , Victor Israel , Aldo Sambrell) , he turned pirate and arranged for letters of marque . As the known Corsair got a "letter of marque and reprisal" would include permission to cross an international border to effect a reprisal authorized by an issuing jurisdiction to conduct reprisal operations outside its borders . As a corsair captain and a crew of valiant sailors plundering for loot , revenge and righting wrings becomes his life . They are forced into piracy but ultimately earn pardon for their swashbuckling ways . As Surcouf and his crew sailing recklessly through dangerous waters , from Saint Malo along the English Channel or ¨La Manche¨ today he still lives in hundreds of legends .

¨Surcouf, l'Eroe Dei Sette Mares¨ also titled ¨The Sea Pirate¨ or "Los Hermanos Surcouf" is an amusing pirate movie , plenty of action , thrills , colorful cinematography , realistic miniature work , luxurious costumes , catching score ; all meld together under Roy Rowland's ordinary direction . Although the story has been told before , tight filmmaking and nice acting win out . Combination of overwhelming battle ships , sword-play and full of villainy , romance , swashbuckler and heroism . The picture is fast-moving , exciting and thrilling right up with climatic final confrontation between Gerard Barray and the nasty Mariano Vidal Molina . Enough budgeted film by Nat Wachsberger and Alfonso/Francisco Balcazar , using appropriate ship shots and miniature sets when possible . Amusing acting by Gerad Barray as a historic pirate who uses all kind of shrewdness in order to defeat the British during the Napoleonic blockade . There appears the gorgeous Antonella Lualdi as a hot-tempered moll who swoons over Gerard ; furthermore , an attractive support cast plenty of familiar Spanish secondaries such as Tomás Blanco , Jose Maria Caffarel , Luis Barboo , Virgilio Teixeira , Aldo Sambrell , Jorge Rigaud , Mariano Vidal Molina and Monica Randall as Joséphine Beauharnais . Atmospheric as well as evocative cinematography by Juan Gelpi shot on location in Denia (Alicante) , Spain , but a perfect remastering being necessary . Original Music by Georges Garvarentz , adding an enticing leitmotif heard throughout the movie . The film was middlingly directed by Roy Rowland and Sergio Bergonzelli . However, an interview in 2003 Gérard Barray said that Sergio Bergonzelli did not shoot 1 meter of film, the whole film was directed by Roy Rowland and the Bergonzelli name was only used for co-production reasons . Rating : 5.5/10 , average though acceptable pirate movie , entertaining stuff that provides audience amusement.

Although this picture hasn't historical penchant , it is based on actual characters : Robert Surcouf (12 December 1773 – 8 July 1827) . He was a French privateer and slave trader who operated in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801, and again from 1807 to 1808, capturing over 40 prizes, while amassing a large fortune as a ship-owner, both from privateering and from commerce for a time . His privateers led successful campaigns against the British in the Indian Ocean and disastrous ones in the English Channel, except for Renard which achieved fame in her very costly victory over HMS Alphea on 9 September 1812 which exploded after repulsing French attempts at boarding it causing many casualties. After the Bourbon restoration, he organised fishing expeditions to Terre-Neuve and amassed a considerable fortune..In Saint-Malo, he married Marie Blaize, who had been his fiancée for two years; over the course of their marriage, they had five children together. Around 1805, Surcouf started to arm privateers in Saint-Malo in partnership with his father-in-law Louis Blaize de MaisonneuveA number of legends have grown around Surcouf over the time: he is often stated to have been made a Baron of the Empire, which is untrue . From 1809, Surcouf went into business as ship-owner, and over the years, he armed a number of privateers . Another legend states that Surcouf had thrown overboard gold seized on Kent; in fact, Kent did not carry gold . Five ships of the French Navy were named in honour of Surcouf . He died in 1827 and is buried in a graveyard at Saint-Malo.

At the time ,Gerard Barray was the actor they hired when they were not able to get Jean Marais (who had left the swashbuckler genre for the broader horizons of the cloak and dagger anyway).Barray ,who was also a stage actor,had plenty of go and was par excellence the handsome dashing hero.(the two "Pardaillan" movies are today still watchable because of him) Surcouf was certainly much less handsome than Barray,if we look at his picture ,but he had an eventful life ,probably the greatest corsair France ever had ;at the end of his life,caused by cancer (1828) ,he was wealthy (and generous) .His wife Marie- Catherine gave birth to numerous children;like in the movie,she came from a rich family from Saint-Malo but the evil jealous rival (who provides the movie with its villain) was made from start to finish by the screenwriters .Genevieve Casile ,who plays Marie-Catherine ,a wasted part,was mainly a stage actress (notably Corneille's "Le Cid" ) That said, in spite of two sea battles ,the screenplay fails to excite me ;as the precedent user noticed,this is a fairly uninteresting mission and Surcouf's second love interest (Antonella Lualdi ,an Italian beauty cast as an English high born lady ) is decorative at best .Josephine,Premier Consul Napoleon's first wife ,makes a "guest " appearance .

Surcouf's triangular trade activities are wisely passed over in silence ,for the movie was primarily aimed at the children's market.

There's a stodgy song by the Compagnons De La Chanson ,inspired by an old sailor folksong ,which was watered-down (the word "s......" was replaced by the harmless "zut".

The movie was a commercial success and spawned a sequel.

Is that a movie from the director of 5000 FINGERS OF DR T ? I can't believe it. I know it was a co directing job, but I still think about it. Oh this is an agreeable film, so typical of the early sixties, most of them co produced with the Italian film industry. Very entertaining yarn but certainly not in the Roy Rowland's touch. And don't forget that Hugo Fregonese, William Dieterle, Andre De Toth, Robert Siodmak and some others also finished their careers in Europe, whilst others finished theirs in the Blaxploitation - Jack Arnold, Hank Hathaway, Henry Levin.... You can watch this one to get a good moment.