Le Bossu

Alexandre Dumas made a reputation for himself writing stories chiefly about the uncommon man who had to rise to the occasion in extraordinary circumstances. Arguably, THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO stand as some of the best literature of the ages, and the film adaptations have created some of the most incredibly swordplay put to the silver screen.

The little heard of and rarely seen ON GUARD ("Le Bossu," 1997, from the French novel by Paul Feval of the same name), by far, features some of the most exciting swordplay with a story that compares to Dumas' best work in many ways.

Daniel Auteuil stars as Lagardere, a budding swordsman who can't back down from a fight. One evening, upon trying to best the Duke of Nevers, he inadvertently falls into the duke's good graces and joins him -- as a sidekick -- on a journey to rescue the man's infant daughter, Aurore. However, as the duke is soon murdered by his villainous cousin Count Gonzague (played with ample creepiness by Fabrice Luchini), Lagardere escapes with the infant and, along with the help of a traveling circus, raises her as his own child for sixteen years ... until Aurore takes up the sword and performs a move only her real father could've known, alerting the now-in-power Gonzague to the fact the the daughter has survived. Now, Legardere is faced with the ultimate challenge of devising a masterful plot to put the woman back on the throne and into her position of prominence!

Much of the film is pure plotting and humor, some of which can only be the product of the French ("Ever try sodomy, my friend?"), and I'm quite certain several of the jokes might be lost on an American audience. Still, Auteuil as Lagardere is the film's masterful stroke; he proves himself capable of a Musketeer-like defender, a loving father, and a pining lost soulmate to the lovely Aurore, all the while maintaining his sense of duty coupled with a great sense of humor.

The film is presented widescreen, filmed on beautiful locations, and the sound is very crisp and vibrant. ON GUARD is a wonderful adaptation that deserves to be discovered by a much larger audience.

"On Guard!" is a delightful saga of a swashbuckling soap, in French, at the capable hands of veteran director Philippe De Broca. I still remember his most entertaining "That Man From Rio" 1964, with adorable Jean-Paul Belmondo and matching comedic tempo of Francoise Dorleac - it was such fun ('tis before the James Bond flicks becoming an annual feverish affair).

What drew me to "Le Bossu" (The hunchback - film's title in French) was mainly due to the 'extraordinaire' Daniel Auteuil, who's the central lead in the film. I first remember him not from "Manon of the Spring" 1987 (as Gerard Depardieu was the star) but from his portrayal of Lacenaire in "The Elegant Criminal" 1990. There's also the ever suave and attractive Vincent Perez (it's the second time seeing him acting opposite Auteuil - they were both in "Queen Margot" 1994; if you haven't seen him in the epic "Indochine" 1992 with Catherine Deneuve, go for it). And in the nemesis role, Fabrice Luchini aptly portrayed the treachery of it all. (He was fascinating to watch in director Patrice Leconte's "Intimate Strangers" 2004, playing opposite Sandrine Bonnaire.)

So with the wonderful script co-written by De Broca himself, witty dialog and intriguing plot turns, it's simply irresistible not to check out "On Guard!" It's available on DVD from Empire Pictures - Koch Lorber Films, and there are behind the scenes extras with interviews of the director, the trio of main actors and actress Marie Gillain, in French with English subtitles option.

Music is by the omnipresent maestro Philippe Sarde, with inclusion of strains from Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana". By the way, there's another famous Philippe included in the cast: Noiret, indeed.

I first mistook Daniel Auteuil for Gerard Depardieu. The French, it seems, have a predilection for unhandsome actors the likes of Yves Montand and Jean Paul Belmondo. But I am not complaining. I like them because they are so credible.

I highly recommend this movie if you liked Scaramouche, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Three Musketeers and other movies featuring dazzling rapier swordplay. The wonderful scenery, excellent choice of locations, intricate props and background really brings you back to France in the 1700s.

A nice American connection is made when the villain Gonzague is shown to be selling shareholdings in a land venture in Mississippi which at the time was still in French hands.

The armsmasters, fencing instructors and stuntmen did a wonderful job. The "Nevers attack," however, is dubious. A trained fencer can easily foil it.

Did you feel like giving the Duke of Nevers a scuff on the head for being so careless with his wealth and his life? But there are real people like that.

At times, the plot and dialog become maudlin perhaps as a sop to the ladies who would have to watch the movie with swordplay enthusiasts.

If you want to escape from the world Le Bossu is a brilliant holiday.

The subtitles are badly done as usual - give us Literal Translations please - we are not idiots!

The story is a great romping swashbuckler that would make Errol Flynn proud. Perez and Autiel are especially good but the man that steals it is Fabrice Lucini - his voice would give anyone a lesson in French and he is very funny and diabolical - he should be a massive star.

This film rollocks along and just shows you don't need complex plots to have a great movie - once again Hollywood scriptwriters - read it and weep... The French and the British are the only ones that can truly do justice to this sort of film.

ON GUARD delivers. Better than almost all other French swordplay films, this film version of the Paul Féval novel 'Le Bossu' has been aptly adapted for the screen by de Broca, Jean Cosmos, and Jérôme Tonnerre and under Phillipe de Broca's keen eye for detail and entertainment it effervesces on the screen.

The story is solid but predictable: a young swordsman Lagardère (a brilliant Daniel Auteuil) falls into the service of the Duke of Nevers (Vincent Perez in a dashing role) to recover the Duke's daughter Aurore (Marie Gillain). But the evil Gonzague (Fabrice Luchini) kills the Duke and the remainder of the non-stop romance involves the revenge and eventual love story of Lagardère and Aurore.

de Broca's style is lushly authentic for the period yet he manages to always infuse his story with light touches of comedy, lush lighting and spectacular photography. The cast is uniformly excellent. This is one of those 'escapist movies' that is bound to entertain and please even the most critical audience! In French with English subtitles. Recommended. Grady Harp