Le Captain Fracasse

Starring:Pierre Blanchar, Charles Boyer, Odette Josylla, Marie-ThÃ©rÃ¨se Vincent, LÃ©on Courtois, Daniel Mendaille, Marguerite Moreno, Lien Deyers, Pola IllÃ©ry, Vargas, Georges BenoÃ®t, Paul Velsa, Armand NumÃ¨s, Clairette de Savoye, RenÃ© Bergeron
Director: Alberto Cavalcanti, Henry Wulschleger
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Description

Recently recovered and restored, here is one of the best films you've never heard of. This lavish, action-filled, poignant, and extremely cinematic adventure/romance follows the episodic adventures of a chivalrous noble (Pierre Blanchar) traveling incognito, and a dastardly duke ("Algiers'" Charles Boyer) pursuing innocent damsel Lien Deyers in the basest manner. Highway robbers, swordfights, disguises, and the very long arm of coincidence spice up this colorful, lively romp in the vein of "The Three Musketeers." Digitally mastered from a beautiful 35mm tinted print and featuring new English titles, this recovered classic recently premiered to great acclaim in Europe and now prepares to swashbuckle its way onto DVD!

Customer Reviews:

Tremendous fun.......2003-01-29

I found this film to be great fun. Fine acting, a nice pace with few dull parts, and the visuals are sumptuous. The contemporary jazz score isn't to my taste but the optional piano score compliments the film well.
My only quibble is with Amazon.com- the title on the disc and case is Captain Fracasse, but they list it under it's French title Le Capitaine Fracasse. At first I though they didn't have it.

Stylish French Silent Film Restored........2003-01-16

Billed as "one of the best films you've never heard of", CAPTAIN FRACASSE gives us the rare opportunity of viewing a late silent film from outside America. This 1929 French swashbuckler is based on a well known French novel by Theophile Gautier and was directed by the Brazilian born director Alberto Cavalcanti. He is best remembered for his 1940's British films at Ealing which include NICHOLAS NICKELBY and the mad ventriloquist sequence from DEAD OF NIGHT. Cavalcanti began his career as an art director which clearly shows in this film. The settings are marvelous (especially an inn called The Crowned Radish), the visual compositions consistently interesting, and the camerawork quite dazzling. The story plays out like a combination of THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE CHILDREN OF PARADISE. An impoverished nobleman (Pierre Blanchar) accompanies a traveling troupe of actors to Paris where as "Captain Fracasse" he tangles with an evil Duke (a young Charles Boyer) over the company's ingenue (Lien Deyers who resembles a young Cybill Shepherd). There is lots of swordplay of course along with a daring rescue and just desserts for the villians. There is also a fascinating recreation of the travelling theatre troupes of that time which I found very interesting and highly entertaining. Acting honors go to Pola Illery and Daniel Mendaille as a pair of gypsies who have important parts to play in the plot's resolution. While there is nothing new here the picture is extremely well made and served up like a fine souffle'. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon or evening especially if you're a silent movie fan. The DVD features a beautifully restored toned and tinted print and your choice of a traditional piano score or a modern experimental soundtrack which was composed for the film's large screen showing in Paris in 2001.

DVD:

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DVD

DVD

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