User Reviews

"Fanfan la tulipe" is still Gerard Philippe's most popular part and it began the swashbuckler craze which throve in the French cinema in the 1955-1965 years.It made Gina Lollobrigida a star (Lollobrigida and Philippe would team up again in René Clair"s "Belles de nuit" the same year.

"Fanfan la tulipe" is completely mad,sometimes verging on absurd .Henri Jeanson's witty lines -full of dark irony- were probably influenced by Voltaire and "Candide" .Antimilitarism often comes to the fore:"these draftees radiate joie de vivre -and joie de mourir when necessary (joy of life and joy of death)""It becomes necessary to recruit men when the casualties outnumber the survivors" "You won the battle without the thousands of deaths you had promised me, king Louis XV complains,but no matter ,let's wait for the next time."

A voice over comments the story at the beginning and at the end and history is given a rough ride:height of irony,it's a genuine historian who speaks!

Christian-Jaque directs the movie with gusto and he knows only one tempo :accelerated.

Remake in 2003 with Vincent Perez and Penelope Cruz.I have not seen it but I do not think it had to be made in the first place.

This is the last of four swashbucklers from France I've scheduled for viewing during this Christmas season: the others (in order of viewing) were the uninspired THE BLACK TULIP (1964; from the same director as this one but not nearly as good), the surprisingly effective LADY Oscar (1979; which had originated as a Japanese manga!) and the splendid CARTOUCHE (1962). Actually, I had watched this one not too long ago on late-night Italian TV and recall not being especially bowled over by it, so that I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it this time around (also bearing in mind the baffling lack of enthusiasm shown towards the film here and elsewhere when it was first announced as an upcoming DVD release from Criterion).

Incidentally, FANFAN LA TULIPE has quite a bit in common with the afore-mentioned CARTOUCHE: not just cast and crew members (producers Georges Dancigers and Alexandre Mnouchkine, cinematographer Christian Matras, actor Noel Roquevert) but plot-wise as well – in fact, the hero is a womanizing soldier (Jean-Paul Belmondo's Cartouche had also had a brief military spell) who's loved by a fiery girl (in this case, gypsy Gina Lollobrigida) while he's himself obsessed by an impossible love (here, it's none other than the king's daughter)! As in the later film, too, Fanfan (an ideally cast Gerard Philipe who, ironically, is so full of life here that one finds it hard to believe that he would be stricken down by cancer within 7 years' time) is flanked by two fun-loving yet cowardly men (one of them is actually his superior officer and the heroine's own father) and opposed by an unscrupulous figure within his own ranks (the ageing Roquevert, with whom the hero eventually engages in a rooftop duel since he too has amorous designs on the gypsy girl)!; for the record, Lollobrigida will rejoin Philippe in her next film, Rene Clair's delightful romantic fantasy LES BELLES DE NUIT (1952).

FANFAN proved to be a big box-office hit on its home-ground and even copped a surprising (but well-deserved) Best Direction award at Cannes over more renowned films like AN American IN Paris (1951), DETECTIVE STORY (1951), OTHELLO, UMBERTO D. and VIVA ZAPATA! In fact, its popularity ensured its re-release in a computer-colored version (presumably for the benefit of viewers who wouldn't touch a black-and-white product with a ten-foot pole) and the Criterion DVD itself contains a sample from this variant; being obviously a foreign-language title, there's also the dubious choice of an English-dubbed soundtrack but, even if these proved not especially painful to sit through considering, when all is said and done, there's simply no substitute for the original!

FANFAN LA TULIPE (a nickname given the hero by a young Genevieve Page as the celebrated Madame De Pompadour) contains about as much comedy as (the expected) action and romance; while some may find this overwhelming, I don't agree myself as I enjoyed the sharply satirical narration and, on the whole, this combination is comparable with Jerzy Skolimowski's equally droll THE ADVENTURES OF GERARD (1970). That said, the swordfights here are remarkably forceful for an essentially lighthearted enterprise (particularly a scuffle in the woods and the ambush at a convent) and the film itself rather adult at times (with numerous allusions to sexuality as well as coarse language adopted throughout) when viewed back-to-back with vintage Hollywood fare as I did now; the climax, then is quite ingenious: the enemy forces (who, amusingly, are made to speak in speeded-up gibberish!) are depleted by our heroic trio alone, much to the king's amazement who, as portrayed by Marcel Herrand – best-known for his role of leader of the Parisian underworld in Marcel Carne''s CHILDREN OF PARADISE (1945) – is himself something of a lecher.

P.S. An Italian TV channel has been threatening to screen Christian-Jaque's promising CHAMPAGNE FOR SAVAGES (1964) for months now but, despite programming it three times already (with a tentative fourth one slated for next week), they have yet to show it; even so, I do have three more films of his in my unwatched VHS pile (equally culled from late-night Italian TV screenings): the three-hour epic LA CHARTREUSE DE PARME (1948; also starring Gerard Philippe), THE SECOND TWIN (1967) and THE LEGEND OF FRENCHIE KING (1971; with Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale).

Okay, perhaps not, but it certainly is a very good adventure-comedy! One of the best of its kind. It has everything: romance, swordfights, abductions, witty bantering between characters, sly remarks about war. And it can boast of inspired casting, with Gérard Philipe at his romantic peak, all handsome and dashing, with soulful eyes, sensitive features, and a beautiful, velvety speaking voice. A very young Gina Lollobrigida was never more alluring, and the stupid villain, the amorous king Louis, and the slimy royal valet Lébel are all great character actors. In fact there's never a dull moment in this gem of a French film! And didn't it win the main prize at Cannes?

Fan-Fan (Gérard Philipe) is a bit of a rogue and lived during the time of the Seven Years' War (in America, it's known at "The French-Indian War" but only refers to the fighting on our continent). I loved the prologue that sarcastically talked about how wonderful war and death were! Well, in the midst of this long blood-bath (that took about a million lives), Fan-Fan joins the army in order to avoid being forced to marry a girl his despoiled (and you would assume that he's done this before). The idea of doing this came from a very sexy lady (Gina Lollabrigida) who pretended to read his fortune and she actually was the one who suggested he enlist. The rest of the film consists of Fan-Fan nearly being hung or stabbed and surviving only with his good looks, sense of adventure and athleticism.

I am a huge fan of French cinema and I really wanted to love this film. However, after a while I realized that the film, while watchable, was something of a disappointment. That's because this is a case where Hollywood actually did this sort of film better. Now this is NOT to say they always did it better, but around 1952 Burt Lancaster was making similar films ("The Flame and the Arrow" and "The Crimson Pirate") dandy films that were very similar to "Fan-Fan" and were also better. Why? Well, while "Fan Fan" was athletic and charismatic, Lancaster was perfect for such roles--with an even greater level of athleticism and sex appeal. And, while it's not THAT important, Lancaster's films were in color and had better production values. Compared side by side, "Fan Fan" is just a bit flat.

While today I would clearly choose to watch the average French film over the average Hollywood product, back in the 40s and 50s, Hollywood did actually seem to often get things right.

This is a tongue in cheek movie from the very outset with a voice-over that pokes fun at everything French and then produces a rather naif but very brave hero in Fanfan La Tulipe. Portrayed by the splendid Gerard Philippe, the dashing young man believes utterly in the fate curvaceous Lollobrigida foretells - notably that he will marry King Louis XV's daughter! Problem is, La Lollo soon find outs she too is in love with Fanfan...

Propelled by good sword fights, cavalcades, and other spirited action sequences the film moves at a brisk pace and with many comic moments. The direction is perhaps the weakest aspect but the film is so light and takes itself so un-seriously that I could not give those shortcomings a second thought. Look out for Noel Roquevert, a traditional heavy in French films, trying to steal La Lollo, making himself a nuisance, and feeding the script to the fortune teller that reads La Lollo's hand! And what a gem Marcel Herrand is as the megalomanous and lust-driven King Louis XV! That is not all: So many beautiful women in one film makes me wish I were in France and on the set back in 1952! The film may have come out that year but its verve, cheek, superb narration, immaculate photography and the memorable Gerard Philippe ensure that it remains modern and a pleasure to watch. I would not hesitate to recommend it to my grandchildren let alone to anyone who loves movies in general and swashbucklers in particular! Do see it!

The men can slaver over Lollo, if they like (or her lollos--she gave her name to a slang terms for breasts in French), but the ladies have an even tastier morsel in the divine Gerard Philipe, who is not only beautiful but can act. Don't be deterred if your version has no subtitles because in this simple, dashing story of love and war, in which all is fair, they are not needed. All you need know is that, at the beginning of the film, Lollobrigida reads Philipe's palm and tells him he will marry the daughter of the king. Thereafter the story is quite plain from the Gallic gestures and the running, jumping, and swordplay.

On the minus side, the obviousness of the story and the heavy-handed facetiousness of the tone become somewhat wearying, and it is annoying that the French apparently consider themselves too superior to Hollywood to bother even attempting the plausibility of its exciting stunts. And of course the non-French-speaker misses the occasional bit of ooh-la-la, such as: Virtuous girl: I must tell you that my heart belongs to Fanfan. Seducer: My dear, what made you think I was interested in that bagatelle?

The superb star quality of Gerard Philipe, who died way too young, leaps from the screen in this witty, funny, sly swashbuckling comedy with plenty of sword fencing and knockabout antics. Charmingly loopy in its' storytelling, impossible to resist. A sweet romantic comedy with a very young Gina Lollobrigida as the love interest. A movie one will remember with great affection.

The main reason for me to see this film was Gina Lollobrigida. I had never seen a film from her. I think she is less popular with film buffs than the other two Italian film diva's Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale. Maybe this is because her career was more Hollywood oriented. As a result she does not have the close ties with a famous Italian director that Sophia Loren (Vittorio de Sica) and Claudia Cardinale (Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti) do have.

Given this main reason, my (other) expectations of the film were not very high. As is often the case when your expectations are quite low, I was pleasantly surprised. Closer investigation revealed to me that the other main actor, Gérard Philipe, was a quite a famous actor in his day. A sort of French Douglas Fairbanks.

The reason that he and the films he played in have been forgotten is mainly attributable to the directors of the French "Nouvelle vague" movement of the 60's. They despised films like "Fanfan la tulipe", because they had in their opinion no social relevance. They were only "escapist amusement". They called them derogatory "cinema du papa".

Douglas Fairbanks has not been forgotten, and rightly so. Gérard Philipe, "Fanfan la tulipe" and other movies of the "cinema du papa" also did not deserve to be forgotten. For the ones who will not be deceived by the contempt of the "Nouvelle vague" directors and who dare to rediscover these movies, they are a lot of fun to watch.

There's much to enjoy in this joyous French swashbuckler, particularly since it doesn't contain one slow moment. The action is almost nonstop, and all the performers contribute hilarious and heartfelt moments that make "FanFan la Tulipe" a delightful romp. It was a huge box office hit in France, turning both the handsome and charismatic Gérard Philipe and the beautiful and voluptuous Gina Lollobrigida into big stars.

The story is set during the reign of King Louis XV, and the character Fanfan as played by the splendid Gérard Philipe is sort of a French "Tom Jones." He's a guy who can't help but get in trouble with the ladies, and the opening scene has him escaping a "shotgun wedding" by spontaneously enlisting in the French military. Unfortunately, soon this way of life doesn't agree with Fanfan, and he winds up getting himself even deeper into trouble. Gina Lollobrigida plays the seductive daughter of the Commanding Officer of Fanfan's unit, who inspires Fanfan by making an unusual prediction for his future -- one which she later comes to regret.

The choreography of the sword battles and the other physical confrontations are top-notch, very unpredictable and absolutely hilarious. A stunt double was hardly (if ever!) used for the athletic Philipe, and it's obviously the French star doing most of the work. I heard that the actual stunt men working the movie presented him with an certificate when the shooting wrapped, which named Philipe as an honorary stuntman himself. Most of what Philipe accomplishes here has to be seen to be believed. Jumping from rooftops, dangling from trees, wild horseback chases and so much more lend a wild energy to the proceedings.

Perhaps the only downside for me at least was that "Fanfan la Tulipe" is filmed in black and white. If ever there was a film that cried out for color -- this is the one. The locales, costumes, sets and props would have been magnificent in color, I think. In fact, on the Criterion DVD that I watched, they included one sequence that had been colorized. It looked great, and although I would never suggest that every b&w film would be better with color, this one certainly would. For those unaware, the colorization process has made great advances since the 1980's, and they can now make the colors look as vibrant or as subtle as the scene dictates it should be.

The supporting cast also provides lots of enjoyment, and I'd be neglectful not to mention a few of these fine European actors. Geneviève Page is supremely beautiful, icy with an undercurrent of passion as Madame Pompadour, Olivier Hussenot is wonderful as Fanfan's loyal sidekick who's saddled with six small children and an obese peasant wife. Nerio Bernardi makes a comically despicable antagonist who meets a poetic fate eventually.

So, I'd highly recommend this to fans of Errol Flynn movies, especially since Philipe conveys some of the same boyish and naughty charm of that classic star. Director Christian-Jaque formed an adventurous and romantic comedy that has loads of charm and thrills. Swashbuckling at its best!

***** out of *****

"Inevitably Adeline begin to carry a torch for the dashing and gallant Fanfan, can only kick herself for setting the motion to his stubborn one-track mind, and things are not helping that her relentless suitor is a cock-eyed boor named Fier-à-Bras (Roquevert).

Soon Fanfan unwittingly rescues the king's daughter Henriette (Pelayo) from brigandry and is bestowed the moniker "Fanfan la Tulipe" by Marquise de Pompadour (Page), the king's paramour. Emboldened by his preordained kismet, Fanfan, together with his sidekick Tranche-Montagne (a rollicking Hussenot), breaks into Louis XV's castle trying to win the heart of Henriette, but ends up being sentenced to death.

Ergo, it is up tp Adeline to save her prince charming's slender neck, and one thing leads to other, hanky-panky, intrigue, snatching and valor are blended with swordplay, horse-chasing, pistol-shooting and by sheer quirks of luck and ingenuity, Fanfan, Tranche-Montagne and La Franchise go behind the enemy line and win the battle for France. A happy ending is ever so gratifying, incidentally, it also fulfills Adeline's amateurish prognostication."

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It was released in France on dvd several years ago--I wish it would be re-released with English subtitles. Do not confuse this with a remake with Penelope Cruz which gets poor reviews. Gerard Phillippe is a peasant who is told by a fortune teller that he will marry the daughter of the king. He sets off to join the army and goes to war. His love, however, is Gina Lollabrigida in an early movie for her. I won't spoil the end. Gerard Phillippe died a few years later at a young age, a great loss to moviedom.

I had two reasons for watching this swashbuckler when it aired on Danish television yesterday. First of all, I wanted to see Gina Lollobrigida - and here I wasn't disappointed. She looked gorgeous. Second of all, through reading about the film I had gotten the impression that it featured absurd humor not unlike that which can be found in Philippe de Broca's films. On this account, however, I was sadly disappointed. I found the jokes predictable (apart from a few witty remarks on the topic of war) and the characters completely one-dimensional. Also, the action scenes were done in a strangely mechanical and uninspired fashion, with no sense of drama at all. I kept watching until the end, but I got bored very quickly and just sat there, waiting for the scenes with Lollobrigida.

Gerard Phillipe is absolutely perfect in this movie, funny, tender, brave and lover.He gives a superior dimension to a movie which is even a masterpiece, as much by the other actors (Gina Lollobrigida:miaoooou!!) as by the story or the rhythm. Never boring, always creating new emotions: for me, the best french movie of all time.

Fanfan la Tulipe is a 'swashbuckler, romantic comedy' set during the French revolution. Filmed in 1952, the film was a great success in French cinema which then coined the years of swashbuckler classics. The film revolves around a central character 'Fanfan la Tulipe' who has himself a reputation, not just for being a noisy and boastful swordsman (a swashbuckler) but the audience also gets the impression very early on in the film that he is somewhat of a hit with the ladies. This is then emphasised a couple of minutes into the film, when he alludes himself into thinking that he will marry the King's daughter. Fanfan la Tulipe is a very liberal character who rarely abides by the rule of others, and instead chooses to do his own thing.

The film commences with a narrative like style, which is carried on throughout the film. The main narration happens at the beginning and at the end of the film, but occasionally in the middle of the film we hear the narration once again, sometimes helping the viewer to tell what is going on, and directing the view to certain objects in the scene. In a way it summarises what is going to happen in the next part of the film.

The film does not leave any long lasting impression on one's mind after you have seen it, but all in all it is a very easy film to watch. The not so subtle wit from nearly all the characters, and the unperturbed nature of Fanfan La Tulipe (even in the most difficult of situations) help to make this film the unchallenging piece of cinema that it is.

Having said that, albeit an easy film to watch, it is an important film of its time, and also a great source of amusement.

I remember this movie from the 50s when I was in college. It is one of the funniest satires of American Westerns that I have ever seen. I'm only sorry that I have not been able to see it recently and that it is is not out on tape or DVD. It is a real treat.

The nearest I ever came to seeing this was a clip shown at a Gerard Philippe exposition in Paris about two years ago. I had no interest in the remake and having just caught up with the original just over half a century after it was made I can only conclude that the inept fencing was intentional, aimed at a long obsolete target. Hollywood had been doing realistic sword fights since the 30s when the greatest of them all, Basil Rathbone, crossed foils with Errol Flynn and others so the technique was available and so that leaves only satire. After a while you don't notice and revel in the Henri Jeanson dialogue reminiscent of the Prisoner Of Zenda, both versions. Gerard Philippe certainly had the presence to bring off a role like this and Gina Lollabrigida was probably a tad better than Martine Carol, the other obvious candidate at the time. The print I saw was particularly bad and at one point broke down completely so maybe a DVD version would enhance it.

one of films who remains the perfect vehicle to the golden age of every viewer. because the innocence, the humor, the good intentions and the nice fight scenes are crumbs from a period when the dream, the adventure and the comedy are more than pieces of commercial system. because the portrait of Louis XV is irresistible and Gerard Philippe does a more than good job. so, a film for remind. old fashion recipes of romanticism. history in amusing manner. desire inspired by a fortune teller in its childish side. the good friend with a lot of children and good wife . the way to impose an easy military victory. a young woman in search of her true love.all - presented in lovely manner. a film for each member of family. and, of course, evergreen.

I think contemporary Hollywood should take note here. This is the kind of movie that would bring audience back to cinemas to look at the stars. Contemporary film has lost the leading man and the leading lady, and therefore has lost the plot. I crave romance, adventure, beauty and godlike presence that both Gerard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida radiate from the screen. I'd like men and women to be free to joke again and this film tastes like freedom. Also maybe because of Gerard Philipe stunts he did on his own. You can see it's him doing it and it seems so easy, the roof jumping, the horseback riding, the fencing, the swimming, this movie is packed with action. And comedy. The dialogue is just as fresh as Lollo's melons, constantly half way out of her corset. There's plenty to gaze at, male or female. Gerard Philipe is possibly the most gorgeous leading man in film history and no actor today can top his charisma. Thanks to this attraction I started watching "old wave" French films and made an important discovery - there's really nothing new about the New Wave. They just stole the best bits and convinced everybody it was their invention. In fact, those innovations can already be found in Gerard Philipe movies. In this one, he is his own stuntman long before Belmondo. Credit where credit is due, we need a reevaluation of Nouvelle Vague.

A promiscuous peasant Fanfan (Gérard Philipe) was caught in the haystack with a local girl and now must pay the ultimate price; you guessed it a forced marriage. To the rescue a fortuneteller (Gina Lollobrigida) predicts that the military will lead him to fame and glory, eventually to marry the king's daughter.

Fanfan realizing, he has been flimflammed decides to make the predictions come true. Meanwhile, the seven-year war goes on as planned until fate takes its turn.

Together we watch the swashbuckling comedy. Yes, production may come true, but it looks more likely that Fanfan la Tulipe and his adopted father are about to swing from the tree of justice. Can anybody save them?

The version I watch was criterion black and white. Once in French with English subtitles and once in English dubbed. You may find the subtitles do not exactly match the dubbed version. There is also a short history of Gérard Philipe on this criterion version. And some clips from the colorized version.

I have not seen it yet but there is a 2003 version with Penélope Cruz.

I consider Philipe a great actor and was sorry to learn that he died so young. I own two of his movies and would like to add Fanfan la Tulipe and Till Eulenspiegel to them. Both movies have great spirit, excellent storytelling and fantastic characterization by Philipe. All the other performers are also good. Despite the stories' endings, both movies are great fun to watch.

inspired fight scenes - half technique, half humor -, charming actors, a nice story and ironic image about a page of France history. a comedy, indeed. important thing - it is a seductive film not only for basic ingredients but for its precise grace. Gerard Philippe creates a different character , in fact, few essential sparkles to a good guy who gives to it a clear, deep personality. his Fanfan is unique and this fact is remarkable after so many years in the space of many eulogies for heroes in that period. the science of measure makes it a kind of revelation, again and again. and this is explanation for who Fanfan is a little more than a character but good occasion to remember another side of reality, full of joy and adventure, nostalgia and fragile beauty.