Le Bossu

Entertaining and fun version based on the classic Paul Favel's novel with an intrepid Jean Marais as the famous hunchback . This is the classic version of the known novel with a fine cast headed by handsome Jean Marais as Henri of Lagardere in a brave role as a higher class aristocrat , a dashing swordsman , audacious lover and nimble athlete . The story is set in early 1700s . Lagardere is an aristocrat (Jean Marais) who became a best friend of Duke of Nevers (Hubert Noel) . Nevers' nemesis is the evil Philippe of Gonzague (François Chaumette) . Gonzague, seeking wealth, kills Nevers and Nevers in his dying moments asks Lafardere to care his baby and avenge him , however long that takes . The Prince of Gonzague kills the Duke of Nevers and tries to marry his widow , Lady of Nevers , so he can get his hand on his fortune . The Chevalier Lagardère along with a street urchin named Passepoil (Bourvil who holds the comic relief) take the child Aurore de Nevers / Isabelle of Caylus (one time grown-up Sabine Sesselmann) with them to Toledo , Spain , only to return disguised as a hunchback years later to unmask the Prince for the villain he is . Several years pass . Being deceased Louis XIV , now King of France results to be Louis XV and governs his favorite , the Duke Philippe d'Orléans (Paul Cambo) . In 1717 is appointed ¨the council of family¨ presided by Duke of Orleans to determinate the Nevers's legacy . The Duke of Gonzague has discovered that the two survive and seeks to have them slain . But Lagardère gains the confidence of the Duke as a lucky old man , through his clever disguise as a hunch-back .

Spectacular as well as delightful swordplay in colorful style , this is a superior version of the classic Paul Favel novel set in 18th Century France . It's a nice rendition from the immortal novel with pretty budget and breathtaking scenarios . For this new rendition is adapted in the greatest splendor , the complete romance , the historical characters, the full novel just as Paul Favel write it . It is packed with comedy in charge of Bourvil , derring-do , intrigue, a love story , action , drama and moving swordplay . An awesome casting and lavish production shot in French Studios and location make for a fairly amusement swashbuckler . The picture contains rousing action , plenty of crashing , intrigue , romantic adventure , romance , treachery mayhem and a lot of fence . Amusing swashbuckling with lavish production , glamorous gowns and luxurious sets . Furthermore , a vein of 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 . Sympathetic acting by Jean Marais as a wealthy aristocrat disguises himself as an ironic , deformed hunchback in order to avenge a murder . 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 . Colorful cinematography by Marcel Grignon , being stunningly showed on the splendorous images . Evocative and lively musical score by Jean Marion . Glamorous production design is well reflected on the luxurious interiors and exteriors filmed in Château of Pierrefonds, Pierrefonds, Oise, France and Toledo , Spain . The motion picture was professionally realized by Andre Hunebelle . This cool filmmaker provided visual style , comedy , fencing ,drama , clangorous action in equal proportions .

This popular novel has been filmed a lot of times , as a silent version in 1925 by Jean Kemm , Argentina version by Leon Klimovsky , Mexican version by Julio Salvador with Jorge Negrete , Italian adaptation titled ¨Son of Lagardere¨ by Fernando Cerchio with Rossano Brazzi as Philippe of Lagardère , French retelling by Jean Delannoy with Pierre Blanchar and the best version titled ¨Le Bossu¨ was directed by Philippe De Broca (1997) with Daniel Auteuil as Lagardère / Le Bossu , Fabrice Luchini as Gonzague , Vincent Perez as Duc of Nevers and Marie Gillain as Aurore . Furthermore , television renditions starred by Bruno Wolkowitch as Henri of Lagardère / Le Bossu and miniseries , 6 episodes, (1967) , starred by Jean Piat as Henri of Lagardère , Sacha Pitoëff as prince Gonzague and Jacques Dufilho as Passepoil .

A lovely trip in time, seductive for the great Jean Marais who is Henri de Lagardere in pure - precise manner, for Bourvil , off course, for inspired bossu and for the nuances, in sweet mannerism manner, of evil Philippe de Gonzague of Francois Chaumette . Fight scenes, revenge story, romance and an end not real comfortable for few moral reasons but lovely scene by scene , first for inspired ingenuity.

A new version in the late nineties was released featuring Daniel Auteuil as the hero;it was entertaining but the actor was overshadowed by Lucchini's portrayal of the wicked cousin.

In the 1960 version,,there's not such a problem.Jean Marais was par excellence the swashbuckler hero and ,like in "le capitan" ,Bourvil provides the movie with good comic reliefs.Marais is as convincing playing a dashing knight,fighting for a girl's name and fortune as he is pretending he is a hunchback.André Hunebelle,often despised by the intellectuals made entertaining stuff which today's children (and their parents) can still enjoy.

I love this original story and although it's frustrating I can't find a version of the book and the writer's son's sequels in English, I am ploughing through them in French which I expect any purist would tell me is what I should do anyway, and I've become an enthusiast for this engaging hero.

Whilst I greatly enjoyed the delightful movie version with Daniel Auteuil which is how I first discovered Henri de Lagardere, I think this Jean Marais version is really the best - it keeps to the original better re storyline, and the script allows Marais to act Lagardere as he should be - swashbuckling and dynamic and already well known in Paris rather than Auteuil's lower key less sophisticated version. I also enjoyed the recent French TV series.