FANFAN LA TULIPE
France, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Perez, Penelope Cruz, Didier Bourdin.
Directed by Gerard Krawczyk.
Fanfan la Tulipe was a popular French character in literature and cinema, early film versions being made in the silent era in 1907 and 1925. The classic picture of Fanfan la Tulipe was in 1952 with Gerard Philipe as the swashbuckler and Gina Lollobrigida as the woman who tricks him into joining the army.
This is a much more spectacular version, with plenty of action sequences and special effects. Vincent Perez is Fanfan and Penelope Cruz is Adeline.
The film was written by director Luc Besson, who was specialising in action films at this period of his career – and the film was directed by Gerard Krawczyk, who directed Taxi 2, Taxi 3, Taxi 4 in the slam-bang comedy action series.
The film was the opening film for the 2003 Cannes film festival – and received a very bad reception which damaged its reputation at the box office.
1. French legends, the 18th century, the build-up to the revolution? The play as about Fanfan, the 1952 film and its influence? The French imagination?
2. The locations and the castles, the towns, the roads? The feel of the 18th century? Costumes and décor, score?
3. The film as a spectacle, historical, action adventure? With contemporary ironies?
4. The theme of war and the opening? The history of war and the history of arms? War by the 18th century? The mockery and the serious tones? The references to the UK and to the US? The anthems, the common currency?
5. The theme of the anthem and the composition throughout the film, the attempts at a national anthem, the comedy with The Stars and Stripes, God Save the Queen, to the Marseillaise?
6. The opening, the king, his range of advisers, his inadequacy, the uniforms and their colours, guessing who was the enemy and who was the ally? The comments on the name Waterloo? The authority of war and his absolute vagueness, falling asleep? The king watching the battle as if it were on television? The battle distant, the king and the generals away? His later decisions, spies, the king's eggs? The surrender without a blow? Happy to have his name in history? The various advisers, their roles, subservient? The priest chaplain and his wanting a blessing and selling souvenirs?
7. The picture of the 18th century, royalty and peasants, war, the peasants as fodder? The battle sequences? The recruiting of the extras to make up numbers, bribes, uniforms? The mad and the old_?
8. Fanfan and the girl in the hay, the father and his friends, the gymnastics of the fight? Fanfan as young, rash, athletic, his ability to fight, his inability to commit? Going to the church, getting the priest, the bribes with the drink, the ceremonies, his refusal and escape?
9. Adeline and his being in the confessional, reading his palm, her urging people to join, the chase and his joining the army at the last minute? With Adeline in the carriage, her talk about palm-reading? His sense of Destiny?
10. The ambush, the noises, the princess and Madame du Pompadour, his fighting everyone alone, the sergeant watching, the man in black, his ring, Fan Fan seeing his face? The escape? The women and their fear? The Polish woman and the attempted rape? Her response?
11. The training sequences for the army, like films like An Officer and a Gentleman? The sergeant and his infatuation with Adeline? The clashes with Fan Fan? Fan Fan rebelling and leaving? His being interned? The nice man with the many children looking after him?
12. The picture of the officers, the sergeant and his friendship with Fanfan, the bullying sergeant-major, the gay officer and his focus on Fanfan's neck? The camaraderie?
13. Fanfan condemned to death, the sergeant building the gallows, Fanfan escaping through the roof, the fighting on the roof?
14. His escape, going to the castle, encountering the king, Madame du Pompadour helping him? Henriette and his destiny to marry the king's daughter, her screaming like a shrew?
15. The man in black, under the table listening to the king and the strategies for the battle, as a paid spy, confronting Fanfan, the fighting, the pursuit and his going to the Austrians?
16. The Austrians and the discussion about flags? Fanfan and Adeline in the castle? His climbing the wall of the castle, on the roof, his shirt as the surrender signal? The fight with Corsini, Corsini's death?
17. The happy ending, Fanfan as an ordinary citizen, with his family? The king presiding over the marriage?
18. An enjoyable historical spectacle, continuing the legends with a contemporary touch?
