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De Broca, who had made the marvelous swashbuckler CARTOUCHE (1962), returns to the genre after 35 years with this unexpectedly old-fashioned and highly entertaining romp.

Daniel Auteil is the unlikely hero, who is also called on to show his versatility as an actor by dressing up as the titular character. He's supported by a good cast: Vincent Perez as a womanizing aristocrat, Fabrice Luchini as a somewhat reticent villain and Philippe Noiret as a Regent; lovely Marie Gillain is Auteil's improbable love interest (she was raised by him after being saved from death's clutches).

The film's theatrical milieu brings forth obvious comparisons with SCARAMOUCHE (1952) but the sumptuous décor, Philippe Sarde's rousing score and a plot-packed narrative keep one watching. In fact, it was so well-received at the time of its release as to be nominated for several international film awards!

De Broca is a distinguished French film-maker but, unfortunately, very little of his early work is available for reassessment; I've only watched 5 myself (including this one) and all proved to be well worth watching.

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

"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.

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.

Among the various adaptations of Paul Feval's novel the modernity of that one lies in the fight scenes.

On the other hand the 1959 version starring Jean Marais was less dark. The murder of Nevers was not emphasized whereas the part is much important with Vincent Perez's great performance. Fabrice Luchini and Daniel Auteuil also give the best to their characters, but the result is less flamboyant as they are more humane.

This can be seen as the result of the Nouvelle Vague fight against the 1950s French popular cinema.

On Guard: a great movie for everybody who likes to watch or read such adventure stories like Alexandre Dumas Three Musketeers. The story is based on the book Le Bossu by Paul Féval (first published in 1857) and got everything you want - humor, a lot of fencing scenes and a story of love and revenge. A fine production, a great cast and an Europan "tone" makes this French piece better than most of recent Hollywoods attempts to capture the spirit of old European novels, epics or history. Recommended if you like movies like Cyrano de Bergerac (Gérard Depardieu), Brotherhood of the Wolf (Christophe Gans), Cartouche (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and the like.

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.

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.

This is a beautifully filmed swashbuckling movie. The cast is magnificient although Fabrice Lucchini's Gonzague doesn't come across as particularly evil; more cynical than evil. Vincent Perez is superb and Daniel Auteil gives a good performance. To me the whole film was let down by a storyline that was far too predictable and so the whole movie just sauntered along and, despite all it's inherent quality, ultimately felt somewhat flat.

Not a deep film in any sense but a magnificently entertaining one nevertheless. Witty and fast-paced, it bears comparison with the highly popular 'Taxi' films. Probably my favourite French film in terms of the sheer pleasure it has given me.

Set in the France of Louis XIV and the Regency which followed his death c.1699 - c.1720, it contains a fair degree of historical accuracy. Philippe d'Orleans, Regent of France (Philippe Noiret) has a central role as the arbiter of justice who ultimately allows good to triumph over evil. This is an unabashedly romantic view of absolutist France and one should not delve too deeply into the world that is recreated here. Like Robin Hood movies, the historical backcloth provides the setting for a good swashbuckle with an underdog hero eventually triumphing over a high-born villain against all the odds.

The later plot revolves around the Louisiana scheme which saw fortunes won and lost in an early example of stock market speculation - a French equivalent of the British South Sea Bubble.

It is also a buddy movie with the main hero (Daniel Auteuil) striking up a friendship across the class barrier with the Duc de Nevers who reveals the secret Nevers sword thrust, a leitmotif which starts and ends the film and helps the (19-year?) time span hang together.

Never's scheming cousin murders him in order to inherit his fortune and the film quickly turns into a revenge movie. Auteuil saves Nevers' baby girl and heir and plots to topple the villain and to restore her to her rightful place.

Towards the end the film becomes heavily romantic and reviewers have questioned the plausibility of the resulting relationship. It is perhaps the weakest part of the plot.

The catchy score helps the film to bowl along in a relatively light-hearted way. Despite a lot of villainy and murder, the film's main tenor is one of unremitting fun. Were it being acted out on stage it would almost be a farce. Simply wonderful!

"On Guard", a subtitled French film, is all about Auteuil as an 18th century swordsman, mercenary, and bon vivant who finds himself the victim of treachery and the lone custodian of an infant who is the sole heir to a noble rank and great fortune. His task is to honor an oath and restore his charge to her rightful place in the face of countless bad guys with blades and his adopted daughter's growing ardor as she comes of age. Packed with evil men and beautiful women and wonderful locations and lots of swishing and clinking steel, "On Guard" should be a fun watch for anyone into swashbuckling adventure flicks who can contend with 2+ hours of subtitles. (B)

How I love a good swash buckling adventure, and Le bossu is exactly that. It is an exciting and fun adaptation of a classic story, and where it works is in its success in trying to make it appeal to everybody. The story is classic, and thanks to the crisp pacing and solid storytelling Le bossu does do an above credible job adapting it. The action is terrific and doesn't look clumsy in any way, and the screenplay is very witty. Other strong assets are the rousing score, assured direction and especially the gorgeous locations, costumes and photography. The acting is also great, Daniel Auteuil is brilliant in the title dual role, Marie Gillian is a beautiful and convincing Aurore, Vincent Perez is fine as Duc De Nevers and Fabrice Luchini is an excellent villain of the piece. All in all, a wonderful film! 10/10 Bethany Cox

France, 1699. The Duc of Nevers is a dashing nobleman who's cousin wishes him gone in order to inherit his fortune. His cousin, Count Gonzague pays hired swords to kill Nevers but they fail to do so, one of the men winning over the Duc and becoming his friend. When Nevers learns he has a child from an one night stand in Caylus, he sets off with Langardère to be married. However the marriage occurs but men attack the castle and Langardère is left to flee and protect the baby. He joins a group of players and hides for 20 years. However when the baby (now grown up as the beautiful Aurore) kills a man in the style known only to her father, Nevers, her presence is revealed and Langardère is forced to put things in motion for his revenge.

I have had this film sitting on a video tape for a month waiting for me to get some time to watch it. I am always put off by foreign films and often they will go to the bottom of things I have to watch simply due to the subtitles! I saw this today and thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot is quite simple although it sounds quite complex. The two acts are – I, Langardère and Nevers becoming friends before the deeds and II, Langardère returning to Paris 20 years later. The plot is helped to move along by the energetic playful feel to the film. It has it's tongue slightly in it's cheek but not so much as to make a mockery of the story. Instead it has just enough wit to stop it feeling historic or creaky.

It is not without flaws however, but they are minor when viewed alongside the grand sweep of the film. I, for one, didn't totally get behind the switch in the type of love between Langardère and Aurore – it was too easy after 20 years. Aside from this, the wit enables the film to get by with unlikely plot devices – if the subject had been presented drier then I may have had a problem with it.

The cast is led by some great performances, none more so than Auteuil. He is good both as the angry young man who befriends Nevers, the comical hero, the protective heroic father and the hunchback of the title. He has great fun in all roles and he is fun to watch. Perez is a bit of a cad and is enjoyable while onscreen and Luchini is a good villain made comical by his almost `middle manager' sense of insecurity and being second best all the time! Gillain as the adult Aurore is pretty and it is only her romance of Langardère that didn't work for me.

Overall this is a very enjoyable film. The plot is very traditional and well worn, but the film is really helped by it's energy and wit that helps everything flow that much easier and makes, along with good performances, for a very fun film to watch.

This was buried away on channel 4 at 2.00 a.m. one morning and I taped it out of passing interest, only to be mesmerised when I watched it a few days later. So much so that I had to watch it all the way through without even a break for a cup of tea. It's easy to say, in hindsight, that the storyline is predictable, but I didn't find that at the time and, believe me, you can't see the twists coming when you watch it. In fact the film builds great moments of tension.

The sword fight scenes, which I would normally fast forward, were really intense and believable. This is good old fashioned story telling with glorious scenery and the requisite number of nail biting moments.

Le Bossu is a magnificent swashbuckling adventure movie in the tradition of The Three Musketeers (Ollie Reed version) and Scaramouche.

The strength of the film is not just in its fight scenes (although it does have several of the best choreographed sword fights that I have ever seen...and you will never forget 'la Botte de Nevers'!) but in the way that the story and characters take you wholly and utterly into the world of seventeenth century France.

I have seen Le Bossu three times at the cinema: and each time have been amazed at the sheer level of audience participation. Even the most cynically blased of my friends have cheered the good guys, boo-ed the villains, and gasped at what's happening on screen.

Don't be put off by the fact that it's in French. The subtitles are intelligently translated and convey the full humour and feeling of a great script.

The cast will be unknown to most US and UK audiences: but Daniel Auteil is magnificent, Fabrice Luchini and Vincent Perez are superb, and Marie Gillain...well, remember the little girl with the bottom that you fancied like hell in "Mon pere ce heros"? She's back: and so is the bottom! Ah, the innocence, the fire, the backside!

Excellent movie, great fun, brilliant sword fights (almost reaching the level of the Rathbone/Flynn duel on the staircase in "The Adventures of Robin Hood"). Marvellous atmosphere, strong characterisation and a gripping plot which suspends disbelief make this a must-see. I hope that Hollywood doesn't do a re-make because they would only spoil it.

Deliciously shot, scripted and acted; gallic flair and emotional flourish produce an uplifting, dashing, clever and complex piece of unalloyed delight. Revel in the swash and buckle, the secret of the sword, the excitement and the deftness of the 'hunchback' himself(le bossu) as he battles his odious adversary. An old-fashioned, 'they-don't-make them-like that-anymore, gem. Hollywood hang your head in shame. This is how to do it. See it. Please.

This French gem of a film speeds along at a cracking pace and is good all-round swashbuckling fun. The choreography in the fight scenes is stunning and the film never loses its sense of humour, style and general charm. This is up there with the best of its kind and quite frankly such recent Stateside efforts as "The Man In The Iron Mask", (1997) pale into significance alongside Le Bossu. The next time Hollywood looks for a possible remake of a classic, European success I would not be suprised in the least if they picked this sure-fire hit.