Scaramouche

Scaramouche was and remains one of my all-time favorite films. It may not qualify as a deeply thought-out criticism of the social situation in France at the time preceding the revolution, but it does not intend to. It gives us a perfectly presented adventure with all the trimmings -revenge, disguises, hidden identities- plus the wonderful duel at the end. Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer are both excellent. The entire cast presents the film while avoiding any slip into comedy and parody. The highly improbable story is presented seriously and here lies the beauty of this film. I have to admit being biased: I have always been a Stewart Granger fan and there is very little of the work of his "good years" that I do not like.

An 18th century nobleman (Stewart Granger) avenging the death of a friend sets in motion the action-filled plot of this Rafael Sabatini tale filmed in gorgeous technicolor and done in rollicking tongue-in-cheek style by an able cast. Eleanor Parker and Janet Leigh both look beautiful as the women in love with Granger's character, who, to hide his true identity must wear the mask of an actor called Scaramouche. It's all done in high style with some beautifully filmed sets and costumes that are breathtaking in color.

Not for a moment can the improbable plot bear close scrutiny--nor is it intended to judging from the over-the-top performance of Stewart Granger in the kind of role that brought stardom to actors like Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power. Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer are dueling opponents throughout, including the final seven minute duel that takes place in a crowded theater where the astonished audience is treated to one of the most skillful duels ever filmed.

The finale would have been even more impressive if the film hadn't already offered a number of extensive dueling scenes. Director George Sidney seems to relish the swashbuckling elements of the screenplay and gives too much time to the various duels without giving the characters too much dimension. Eleanor Parker is strikingly beautiful as the tempestuous actress constantly bickering with the athletic Granger, obviously relishing her colorful role. By contrast, Janet Leigh seems very demure indeed in a more conventional role.

Victor Young's colorful score is a decided asset, punctuating the proceedings with the required dash and eloquence. If swashbuckling romantic adventures are the kind of action films you admire, you'll have a grand time with this one. Grade A production values all the way and directed at a fast clip despite its two hour running time.

As has been commented by the other two people, the final sword fight makes the movie (although it is not the only reason to watch). It runs non-stop for over 7 minutes. One interesting point is that aside from the leap from the staircase to the floor below, Granger did all of his own stunts in the sequence (including swinging from the stage into the opera box and dangling over the audience early in the fight). The only fight that comes anywhere near it is the one between Danny Kaye and Basel Rathbone in "Court Jester".

I recently saw this movie again on cable - it is a wonderful mixture of period romantic adventure with examples of great comedia del'arte and... especially... the best fencing scenes ever put on film. Both Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer were excellent swordsmen and their final confrontation is a brilliant tour de force. Watch it just for this sequence - remember it was made in 1953 and is still highly enjoyable.

This is a movie milestone in my life.

I have chosen this handle and this film to be my first review on this site because it was the very first film I ever watched.

However my enjoyment was limited due to the fact that I was five days old at the time. This resulted in a rather poor grasp of the plot and an overall lack of excitement from beginning to end. The story goes that the day my twin brother and I were taken home from hospital after our birth, Scaramouche was the evening film on the BBC and we were given our baths completely oblivious to the movie gem we were being treated to on our first night in our new home.

I personally do not remember this but I have been reliably informed that this is so.

Over the years however, I have acquired a great passion for the films of the golden age and Scaramouche, although not the best of films, is definitely a classic.

Stewart Granger plays Andre Moroe a free spirit, who's life has amounted to nothing more than his constant pursuit of fun and wealthy ladies in 17th Century France. However the murder of his closest friend, a revolutionist in the making, turns him into a man driven by revenge. However there is one tiny drawback as the man on whom he seeks vengeance is the best swordsman in France and Andre has never held a sword in his life. But he is determined to learn it's ways in order to meter out his terrible revenge.

Immediately taking up lessons he wastes no time in becoming an expert fencer........about half an hour in fact.

This however is for me the most entertaining part of the film as the student out-fences the teachers in a series of montage images. It also contains one of the best uses of the English Language I have ever seen on film....or maybe I'm just easily pleased.

'if i can no longer be taught by the man who taught my enemy, then what is more fitting in a mad world,than to be taught by the man who taught the man who taught my enemy' Catchy eh?

However all this time Moroe is evading the villain's men by hiding out in a circus of sorts where he has adopted the role of the masked Scaramouche.....the clown.

It is at one of his performances where Moroe comes face to face with his friends killer and in true Hollywood fashion, they duel in and out of the shocked spectators hanging over perilous ledges and high theatre balconies and of course up and down grand staircases.

Mel Ferrer is wonderful as the evil Demain and gives his role an almost Bond villain presence with his charm ans sophistication, and for love interest we have both Eleanor Parker and Janet Leigh (before she started taking showers) Yet for once Hollywood decided to put romance on the back burner and these two beauties, although great in the roles, have nothing more to do than parade around in cleavage inducing bodices, although that's fine with me. If this film is your cup of tea or not, it's worth watching for that alone.

There are other aspects of the plot which I need not go into here except that they amount to the "he was my father which makes you my sister" scenario and when the unknown brother is revealed, you will be forgiven in thinking you had tuned into a period edition of EastEnders but despite all this is definitely worth the watch.

Incidentally the final sword fight was the longest sword fight in movie history until Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones fenced their way into the record books in The Mask of Zorro. They may now have the longest but Scaramouche still has the best.