This charming, witty satire of Errol Flynn swashbucklers features Gerard Philipe as Fanfan the Tulip, a 17th-century swordsman with his tongue firmly planted in cheek. About to be forced into a shotgun (or saber) wedding, he escapes matrimony by joining the king's army. A bogus soothsayer
examines his palm and predicts he will marry the king's daughter one day and establish himself as one of France's greatest heroes. Later, he spies a coach being attacked by bandits and attacks the band of malfeasants, cutting them to bits with his swordplay. As it happens, Madame Pompadour (Page)
and the king's daughter (Lollobrigida) are the coach's passengers from whom Fanfan receives a kiss as his payment. On the road to his destiny, there are several swordfights, a mock sentence of death, and a raid on a convent.
Although the film contains a subtle antiwar message, it's not necessary to look for any rhyme or reason in the script; just enjoy all the derring-do. Philipe, whose life ended when he had a heart attack at age 36, appeared in more than 30 films in his brief career, including DEVIL IN THE FLESH,
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT, and BOLD ADVENTURE, the last of which he also wrote and directed. leave a comment