O Exilado

The costuming for this film must bring a smile to the face of anyone familiar with fashions of the 17th century. The film's action occurs in 1660, but Fairbanks and his colleagues wear jerkins fitted to the waist, stylish about 1620-1630, but apparently considered more dashing than the loose smocks and petticoat breeches of 1660. Then Maria Montez arrives, wearing a gown clearly from the 1880 Wild West costume rack in the Wardrobe Department. To atone, her second frock is only a century out of kilter, something from about 1750.

I found the sound-stage exteriors very claustrophobic and phony, and I noted only 3 instances when I felt the "Ophüls touch," for example when the shutter blew open and closed, alternately revealing and concealing the lovers as they approach their first kiss. I'm also puzzled why Max Ophüls is listed as "Opuls" in the credits, but perhaps that is a phonetic rendering to eliminate the umlaut?

Douglas Fairbanks Jr starred as Charles II, the eponymous role in this swashbuckler and produced as well. It says much for his modesty, that he appears last in the end credits though he is undoubtedly the star. As a swordsman and acrobat he turns in a performance that his father would have been proud of and also brings wit and charm to the table. His romantic relationship with a Dutch girl, played by Paule Croset (later to become more famous under the name of Rita Corday), however is just ok. Maria Montez is much more fun as a coquettish countess and seems to have more chemistry with Fairbanks. Director Max Ophuls presides over a beautifully shot film with impressive mise en Scene and there is superb editing when we cross cut several times between the Netherlands where Fairbanks and Croset work and play, and England where the machinations of the puritans to catch or kill the king are brewing. The music in Holland is playful whilst being militaristic and sinister in England, during this sequence; stirring stuff! And speaking of the Puritans, Henry Daniell is perfectly and icily cast as a Roundhead Colonel. He arrives in The Netherlands like a black hatted western gun slinger on the trail of our hero and is compelling in his fanaticism. It feels like he and Fairbanks are fated to meet, by destiny and only one will survive. The duel between the two backs this up more than somewhat and Daniell steals the film in the process. In the supporting cast, Robert Coote is a hoot as an impoverished actor, dishonestly masquerading as Charles II himself in order to obtain free food and lodging and Nigel Bruce plays it straight to good effect as the real king's right hand man and confidant, impressing us with his raspy voice of experience and touching us with his devotion to his monarch and friend.

This is probably the least appreciated of the series of masterpieces Max Ophüls made in his too-short stay in Hollywood. Superficially it is a fairly silly, light-hearted historical romp, and it is enjoyable enough on that level. But this only throws into sharper relief the expressive mastery of Ophüls' style - by the end of the movie a single elegant camera move is enough to turn the mood to high tragedy. This is sublime filmmaking.

I remember seeing the preview of THE EXILE when I was 9 years old, but never actually saw the film till last night. Reminded of this rare and all-but-forgotten picture via this website, I sought it out on the internet and purchased it for a modest price. No disappointment. A romantic adventure film set in 1660 combines real history with highly entertaining story. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was a great leading man and he plays this role with ease and vigor. The re-creation of the era was perfect and the film has not a trace of today's annoying Attention Deficit Disorder editing. They didn't make any good movies in 2005, as evidenced by the trashy 5 lefty-spin pictures nominated as Best Picture. If you want to see a classic, don't give up on it. Seek it out and with tenacity you can find it and see it. I've only failed once, but still looking for that rarity.

In one of his BEST acting roles, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s second stint as a movie producer--and his first as a writer--is an ambitious attempt to dramatize the tale of the restoration of Charles II to the throne of England. An avowed Anglophile, Fairbanks has a strong sense of the history of his adoptive land. (He was born in New York City.) Fortunately, the drama and excitement of the pursuit of Charles Stuart (Fairbanks) after his return from self-imposed exile in Holland by Oliver Cromwell's Puritans is lushly displayed by the producer-author-star's insistence on a deliberate, poetic pace for the story. Much of the film is concerned with Fairbanks' trysting with the luscious Croset--later Paula Corday--in her first starring role, as a Royalist who conceals the fugitive king on her estate. Despite a strong supporting cast and an interesting concept, the film is a forgotten charmer!