Of course the subject is irresistibly intriguing, and there must be hundreds of authors and directors who have speculated in the tragedy of Marie Antoinette buried alive in an inhuman tower after her husband's execution. No one has made more of it than Alexandre Dumas. "The Cavalier of Maison-Rouge", also known as "The Last Cavalier" is based on no more than a hint of a last hope given to the Queen in her imprisonment, by a mysterious cavalier and nobleman who was no more known than under this title, if it wasn't.a sobriquet for some aristocrat, who had every reason to keep anonymous. Of this minute episode of no more than a glimpse of hope, Alexandre Dumas constructed a great novel (one of his first) of conjecture based entirely on romantic fantasy, but the novel is great and perhaps his third greatest after "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Christo". The film follows the novel meticulously and takes well care of the dramatic moments, and all the players are outstanding, especially Renée Saint-Cyr as Marie Antoinette - this role must be extremely attractive to any actress. And I never saw anyone fail in making it convincing enough. The manuscript is eloquently written all the way, the dialog is never superfluous, and the script writers have known expertly to leave out all the unnecessary stuff. The cinematography and the music are also something to relish all the way, and the towering tragedy is well built up. This is one of many Marie Antoinette films that never should be forgotten.
To all this is added Alexandre Dumas' marvellous innovative romantic mind, making the subject an inspirational source to weave a great romance around the desperate and hopeless efforts to liberate the Queen. It is not only his probably third greatest novel but his most romantic novel as well.
Very much underrated, a unique novel of romanticism, excellent Italian rendering on film, exquisite cinematography and staging, consistently in sustained style, but a warning: its is 5 hours long.
