Fanfan la Tulipe

It's easy to see why Fanfan la Tulipe was France's biggest box-office hit in 1952. Combining fast-paced action with lightweight romantic comedy, this swashbuckling adventure was to pre-New Wave French cinema what the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are to moviegoers around the world today: pure escapism, crafted by a prestigious lineup of talent on both sides of the camera. Directed by Christian-Jaque and starring Gerard Philipe (who was riding high on a tidal wave of success that made him the most popular screen idol in Europe), Fanfan la Tulipe features Philipe in the title role of Fanfan, a peasant soldier and unrepentant ladies' man who joins King Louis XV's army in order to avoid a forced marriage, and then proceeds to defy authority while eventually winning the heart of Adeline (Gina Lollobrigida), a phony fortune-teller whose bogus prediction—that Fanfan will marry the king's daughter—has a funny way of coming true. Before the young couple's union comes to pass, however, Fanfan engages in mischievous exploits that result in numerous swordfights, rooftop chases, dazzling escapes, and other bits of noble derring-do. Fanfan la Tulipe offered so much fun that it was savaged by up-and-coming New Wave critics like Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, who despised this kind of mainstream fare. Watching the film today—which looks wonderful thanks to another pristinely restored digital transfer from the Criterion Collection—it's easy to dismiss the earlier condemnation as simple snobbish elitism. DVD extras include a new half-hour tribute to Philipe (who died from liver cancer at the age of 36), a clip from the colorized version of the film, an optional English-dubbed soundtrack, and a booklet featuring an essay by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)