Cadet Rousselle (1954)

Very Cool!!!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This is an exciting film , plenty action , thrills , fights , love and breathtaking outdoors . An awesome casting and enough production shot in French Studios and location make for a fairly amusement swashbuckler/adventure/comedy . ¨Cadet Rousselle¨ is a likable movie , full of anecdotes and entertaining events . It deals with Adventures of Cadet Rousselle that on the French Revolution left his hometown in search of fame and fortune . Cadet loves beautiful Isabelle (Christine Carere) , but her father doesn't approves their love . Cadet Rousselle then decides to set out in pursuit glory and richness . Along the way , he is attacked by three bandits . He will be helped by a group of comedians and will fall love for a gorgeous ballerina called Violetta Carlino (Dany Robin who played for Hitchcock in Topaz). He thinks know love with Violetta , but he ends involved in a monarchist plot . As Violetta gives him letter to for her mother and he goes to Paris accompanied by the comedian Jérôme Baguindet (Bourvil) . But the letter is actually a secret message to the monarchists in the heights of French Revolution . Then Cadet is arrested in Paris and locked in Bastilla prison . In prison meets Marguerite de Beaufort (Madeleine Lebeau) with whom he will have a special relation . After that , he mixed up in all kinds of absurd , hilarious and even romantic incidents .Nice and fun historical comedy starred by sympathetic actors , including ridiculous situations , entertainment , amusement and with a distinctly French sense of style . ¨Cadet Rousselle¨ results to be a spectacular legendary tale filled with irony , slapstick , adventure and action ; being efficiently directed by Andre Hunebelle . This cool filmmaker provided visual style , comedy , fencing , drama , clangorous action in equal proportions . The principal issue turns out to be the continuous meetings and ongoings disagreements between the protagonist and their intertwined loves along with the twisted adventures in which the starring becomes involved . The idea most interesting seems to be everything is ¨Three¨ in the Cadet life , as he is third brother , he falls in love with three women , he is attacked by three bandits and he becomes prisoner , thief and finally Napoleon General . Acceptable action sequences in medium budget with rousing attacks and spectacular fights . It is filled with comedy in charge of Bourvil , derring-do , intrigue , love stories , action , drama , moving swordplay and struggles . This is a slightly bemusing film with entertaining events , giggles , emotion and agreeable love stories . It is adapted in the greatest splendor , the complete romance and historical characters , including Napoleon . However , it moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable , with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing ; so, the tone of the film is light-hearted and the most part results to be rich in implausibilities and absurdities . Furthermore , a vein of light humour is evident here , though sometimes falling flat . For this movie itself , though , energetic and frantic are the best adjectives you could think of to describe its attractions . Charismatic performance for all casting . Fine acting by Francois Perier , he gives a charming acting and manages to use his fists , heavy swords and to do some acrobatics . Perier played great movies such as Stavisky , Le Samourai , Z , The organizer , The testament of Orpheus , Orpheus , Sylvia and the phantom . Pleasant performances by main star cast and enjoyable secondary cast , as the marvelous main actors are completed by stellar cast full of good and veteran French players . Attractive support cast formed by beautiful girls such as Dany Robin as dancer in a band of comedians , Christine Carere as virginal girlfriend and Madeleine Lebeau as astute and scheming aristocrat . Adequate production design , colorful cinematography and evocative musical score enhance the values of this amusing film . The motion picture was professionally and in colorful style realized by André Hunebelle . Andre was born and dead in France (1896-1895) . He was a director and producer, known for his spectacular as well as delightful swordplay adventures , Eurospy and action films . As he was expert on adventure movie as "The Three Musketeers" , "Devil of Paris" ,¨Le Bossu or the hunchback¨, "The Miracle of the Wolves" ,"Under the Sign of Monte-Cristo" . Being especially known for his Fantomas series with Louis De Funes and Jean Marais such as : ¨Fantomas¨, "Fantomas Unleashed" and ¨Fantomas versus Scotland Yard¨ .

This story was very popular at that time in France : the first version was made only 8 years prior to that one. The theme song was also very popular among children! I remember singing that when I was a kid in the sixties! But, today, I saw this childish movie with adult eyes and I think it's got too much noise, howling, confusion in it. Bourvil plays a one dimension character and he's boring after a while. Périer is very fine as the hero, so isthe so cute Dany Robin! See this today as a good example of simple entertainment from France in the fifties. The film makes fun of the French Revolution, but some jokes are very weak.