King on Horseback (1958)
Henri La Tour, a strolling player, is also a daring adventurer. So, when, after accomplishing a brilliant feat, he is awarded a title by King Louis XV, the Duke of Saint-Sever takes offense at it and challenges Henri to a duel. However, while they fight, a group of Austrian soldiers appear suddenly and the two rivals instantly unite to repel their enemies. Unfortunately, Saint-Sever is mortally wounded and, feeling he is about to die, he entreats his new friend to offer protection to Toinon, his natural daughter, whose life is being threatened...
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You won't be disappointed!
Sorry, this movie sucks
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Historically ,this is the first in the series of swashbucklers in which Jean Marais starred from the late fifties to 1962.And this is not the best,because of a desultory script which does not really grab the audience .The first part looks like a poor man's "Fanfan La Tulipe" which also took place during king Louis the Fifteenth's reign .The anti-war spirit (reflected in the performance on stage)may remind you of some of Henri Jeanson's lines ,but it's a pale imitation.the second part can be looked upon as a blueprint for "Le Bossu" ,the following year,La Tour and Lagardère being interchangeable heroes : the dashing fair knight goes to the rescue of a damsel in distress ,deprived of her inheritance.Filmed on scope ,which was still rather luxury in the French cinema ,the director makes the best of it at the beginning in the war scenes ,then for the last scenes with the deported women prisoners en route to La Rochelle .