La Tulipe noire

Just for cape and sword adventure fans, "The Black Tulip" is the French version of Zorro. Very much alike. There's Alain Delon in the main role for the ladies and he is not bad. You'll also find Virna Lisi in one of her early works rendering an acceptable work too. But if it comes to acting, veteran Akim Tamiroff is the clear winner in a supporting role as a villain noble. Photography and shooting on location in real palaces and old European cities add to the movie and a sort of sticky tune helps too.

But what "The Black Tulip" really lacks is the sense of passion and real heroism American classics of the genre usually transmit, this being really odd since most of them are usually located in Europe including France. I think the director didn't make up his mind whether this would be a serious swashbuckler with a touch of humor or a comedy with a touch of serious adventure. So it didn't work neither way.

Nonetheless the film is entertaining and worth a watch.

In 1789, in France, the outlaw The Black Tulip (Alain Delon) is a thief that steals the nobles for himself; however the poor people believes he is a revolutionary. He is indeed the womanized and dull Count Guillaume de Saint Preux, who has a love affair with the married Marquise Catherine de Vigogne (Dawn Addams). When the Chief of Police Baron La Mouche (Adolfo Marsillach) plans a scheme to arrest The Black Tulip, the bandit is marked by a scar on the face and La Mouche suspects Guillaume might be The Black Tulip. However Guillaume summons his clumsy and idealistic younger brother Julien de Saint Preux to pose as if were him to lure La Mouche. Meanwhile Julien meets the bride Caroline "Carol" Plantin (Virna Lisi), who is a revolutionary, and they fall in love with each other. When Julien learns that his brother does not have any principles or ideal, he assumes Guillaume identity and The Black Tulip to support Plantin (Francis Blanche) and his group in the revolution. Will they succeed?

"La tulipe noire", a.k.a. "The Black Tulip", is an entertaining adventure of a Zorro-like anti-hero. The plot is very funny until the point when Julien is arrested. Guillaume's sacrifice is silly and the conclusion is awful and messy, with Julien celebrating the revolution with Caroline and totally forgetting his brother and his body.My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Tulipa Negra" ("The Black Tulip")

In this first ¨Tulipe Noire¨ starred by Alain Delon took a chance and jumped from Film Noir , action genre to costumed comedy-adventures ; he steals the show as a masked hero relishing his secret identity on his horse called Voltaire and in cape and wielding sword ; executing bounds and leaps , twists and climbs and throughly enjoys himself . In 1789, at the beginning of French Revolution , an outlaw named "Black Tulip" held the surroundings of a town called Roussillon in fear . The inimitable Alain Delon in a double role as Julien De Saint Preux/Guillaume De Saint Preux, as he dons a black outfit and becomes the Black Tulip , the legendary masked , hero of oppressed who declares himself a revolutioner . Black Tulip riding in the hoof-prints, enjoys his hidden activity in black cape and wielding blade and helps the good people who are mistreated ,thwarting the ambitious plans of the meanie official , as the poor people respect him like a new Robin Hood . When he contends Baron Mouche (Adolfo Marsillach) , he was wounded , but then appears his twin brother . Meanwhile , he falls in love with gorgeous Caroline (Virna Lisi) . He battles against Marquis of Vigogne (Akim Tamiroff) , baron La Mouche and Prince of Grasillach (Robert Manuel) . Black Tulip's helped by a servant named Brignon (Jose Jaspe) and unites forces to Plantin (Francis Blanche), his beautiful daughter and revolutionaries .

Derring-do , feats, adventures, humor and action find this agreeable swashbuckler . Alain Delon runs and jumps, bounds and leaps all over the images and Adolfo Marsillach overacting outrageously when plays the villain Baron . Black Tulip-Delon splendidly fights evildoers and greed oppressors , while saving his brother an the damsel in distress . Delon made the character of Zorro his own and quickly established himself as a French legend ; starring years later , a similar film titled ¨Zorro¨ by Duccio Tessari . Delon is terrific as the Black Tulip , well accompanied by ideal heroine , a pretty Virna Lisi . Nice cast keeps the picture moving at a rapid clip , special mention for Adolfo Marsillach as a grumpy and bungler baron in a sensationalistic and exaggerated performance . Being a French-Spanish co-production appears several secondary actors seen in usual genres of the 60s as Jose Jaspe , Alvaro De Luna, Jorge Rigaud , Enrique Avila , Perla Cristal and Laura Valenzuela , wife of film producer , Jose Luis Dibildos . The film is set during French Revolution , though was filmed in Spain, Sevilla Films, Madrid, (studio) and Trujillo, Cáceres, Extremadura ; displaying a colorful cinematography by Henry Decae . Lively and jolly musical score with rousing leitmotif by Gerard Calvi .

The motion picture was well-mounted and fast paced by Christian Jacque, an expert on adventures and historic genre as proved in ¨Fanfan¨, ¨Lady Hamilton¨ , ¨Madame Sans Gene¨ , ¨Madame Du Barry¨ , ¨Lucrece Borgia¨, among others . Ratinh : 6,5 . Worthwhile watching .

French version of the Zorro legend set during the period just prior to the French Revolution plays like Zorro the Gay Blade at times. Its an amusing romp with Alain Delon in the heroic lead (Delon would take up the mantle of Zorro a decade later and sleep walk his way through the role). Its the typical stuff with the "bandit" hailed as hero while the ruling class hates his guts. Filled with funny remarks and great action this is a film to search out, or would be if there were any decent copies floating around. The only way it seems to see this is on really bad low budget videotapes, which is a shame since its better than most swashbuckling romps that have appeared over the years.

this is the famous novel by Dumas la tulipe noir, not Zorro or whatever I have read in other reviews. I can recall many names in this film, extremely popular in our cinema, television and theater, like Adolfo Marsillach, as the Police Chief la Mouche, Alvaro de luna, before being a most celebrated bandit in Spanish television, José Luis Pellicena, glory of Spanish theater thorough decades, and many others. Very pretty actresses, you can't beat a famous Miss Italy, Virna Lisi, and on top of that, the most handsome and charming of all, Alain Delon, 28 year old by then, at the peak of his career to make this film version of revolution, adventure, romance, comedy and all the ingredients of the great Alexandre Dumas novel.