Stars: Jean Marais, Bourvil, Jean Le Poulain, Sabine Sesselmann

Director: Andre Hunebelle

Summary: An adaptation of Paul Feval's classic novel. A swashbuckling tale of the court of Louis XIV.

This superb swashbuckler stars Daniel Auteuil as Lagardere, a swordsman in 18th-century France who befriends his fellow fencing student, the dashing Duke de Nevers (Vincent Perez), only to wind up on the run and accused of his murder. Nevers' villainous cousin (Fabrice Luchini) has orchestrated the killing, and is now after the Duke's infant child, Aurore, who is rescued and raised by Lagardere. Sixteen years pass and Aurore grows into a ravishing beauty (played by Marie Gillain), who has inherited her father's skill with a sword, and, controversially, developed more than just a daughterly love for her protector. Sworn to avenge the Duke's death and restore Aurore's rightful title, Lagardere undertakes a daring scheme of retribution and revenge, disguised as a hunchback. Like a great old novel (it's adapted from LE BOSSU by Paul Feval) the film grips one's attention firmly from beginning to end, with Auteuil a dashing Fairbanks-esque hero, Luchini a most hissable villain, and Gillain a damsel worth dying for. Sumptuous photography lovingly captures the epic sets and breathtaking outdoor locations without ever distracting from character, plot, or pace.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on March 29, 2006 3:17 PM

One of the all time great sword fighting spectacles , a great cast including the wonderfully talented French actors Jean Villain - Marais
as Henri de Lagardere alongside Andre Bourvil as Passepoil and
Sabine Sesselmann supplying the beauty and Jean Le Poulain as the bad guy , this version was made in 1959 and is an adaption of the Paul Feval swashbuckling novel . In this film , directed by the fine director Andre Hunnebell , it is based in the court of Louis XIV , a story of intrigue , assassination and revenge . In French with subtitles , this is a fine movie .

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Aspect Ratio:	Full Screen
Main Language:	French
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Trailer, Scene Selection, Photo Gallery, Biographies Of Jean Marais And Bourvil And Andre Hunebelle, Moving Menu
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1997
Release Date:	January 26, 2004
Runtime:	101 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C L V 131
Keywords:	Subtitled, General, French, Drama, Le, Bossu
Genre:	Drama