Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1997
On Guard (1997 film)
Buy On Guard (1997 film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'On Guard' is a 1997 French swashbuckler film directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, and Marie Gillain. Adapted from the 1858 historical novel 'Le Bossu' by Paul Fval, the film is about a skilled swordsman named Lagardre who is befriended by the Duke of Nevers. When the duke is attacked by his evil cousin Gonzague, the duke in his dying moments asks Lagardre to avenge him and look after his infant daughter.
'On Guard' was released on 3 December 1997 in France. The film had 2,385,688 admissions in France and grossed $96,750 in the United States. 'On Guard' received the Csar Award for Best Costume Design, and eight Csar Award Nominations for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music, and Best Production Design in 1998. The film also received a BAFTA Film Award Nomination for Best Film in 1999.
Plot
In 1700 in Nevers, France, a skilled swordsman named Lagardre (Daniel Auteuil) challenges Duke Philippe de Nevers (Vincent Prez) to a friendly duel in order to learn his secret lethal maneuver known as the "Nevers Attack". Nevers agrees and quickly dispatches the upstart whom he soon befriends. Nevers learns that he has a "son" by Blanche de Caylusa fact previously concealed by his cousin and would-be heir, the wicked Comte de Gonzague (Fabrice Luchini). That night Nevers escapes an assassination attempt by Gonzague's men.
Determined to claim his bride, Nevers leaves for Caylus with Lagardre along as his escort. They are followed by Gonzague and his men who plan to murder Nevers before he can marry Blanche and claim his son and heir. Along the way Nevers teaches Lagardre the "Nevers Attack"an acrobatic sleight of hand that ends with a blade between the opponent's eyes. Soon after, they spot the assassins, and Lagardre is able to delay the attackers long enough to allow Nevers to reach Caylus and marry Blanche. The newlyweds' happiness, however, is short-lived.
When Gonzague and his men arrive at Caylus, they murder the entire wedding party. Lagardre arrives, and after a lengthy sword fight, Nevers is fatally stabbed by a masked Gonzague, who is "branded" by a sword thrust on the hand by Lagardre. Lagardre threatens the unseen killer: "If you do not come to Lagardre," he states, "Lagardre will come to you!" With his dying breath, Nevers implores Lagardre to avenge him and his wife (who he believes was killed) and to look after their infant child. Lagardre flees Caylus with the infant and finds refuge in the mountains in an abandoned farmhouse, where he discovers that the "son" is in fact a girl, who carries a locket naming her as Aurore.
Gonzague's men track Lagardre to his mountain hideaway looking to kill Nevers' rightful heir. Lagardre and Aurore escape with the help of a band of strolling players who convince the pursuing killers that Lagardre and Aurore have plunged to their deaths in a mountain torrent. After Gonzague's men leave, Lagardre and Aurore join up with the strolling players. Back in Nevers, after attending the funeral of her daughter the coffin actually contains a wax doll Blanche retires to a convent, and the evil Gonzague is named executor of her estate.
Sixteen years later, Lagardre and Aurore (Marie Gillain) are still with the players. After witnessing Lagardre defend her against three outlaws using sophisticated swordplay with a stick, Aurore asks about his past. Lagardre keeps his past hidden, but he teaches her the "Nevers Attack". One night after a performance, Aurore is taken to a party given by one of Gonzague's men, Louis-Joseph, and is soon assaulted by the host. Using fencing skills she learned from Lagardre, Aurore escapes her attacker, killing him using the "Nevers Attack". When Gonzague learns how his "finest blade" was killed, he suspects that Aurore is still alive; his suspicions are confirmed when Aurore's tomb is opened revealing a decayed wax doll. Gonzague then orders his men to find and kill her.
Lagardre sets out to plan his revenge on Gonzague. After revealing to Aurore that she is the daughter of the late Duke of Nevers, and that her mother is still alive, he gains employment as Gonzague's secretary disguised as a hunchback, makes contact with Blanche revealing that her daughter is alive, and then engineers a stock market raid on shares in the Mississippi Company supposedly on behalf of Gonzague in fact he purchases the stock using gold provided by Blanche for her daughter's benefit.
When Aurore is captured by Gonzague's men, Lagardre executes a daring rescue. That night, the Regent Philippe d'Orlans arrives prepared to name Gonzague a royal agent to Louisiana. The ceremony is interrupted, however, by Lagardre who escorts Aurore into the hall, introducing her as the majority holder of the Mississippi Company stock. Blanche confirms Aurore is her daughter. Lagardre then discards his disguise and accuses Gonzague of murdering Duke Philippe de Nevers. As proof he exposes Gonzague's hand the one he branded at the scene of the murder. In the swordfight that follows, Lagardre kills Gonzague using the "Nevers Attack". Aurore then instructs Lagardre to kiss her, and the two embrace each other.
Cast
* Daniel Auteuil as Lagardre
* Fabrice Luchini as Gonzague
* Vincent Prez as Nevers
* Marie Gillain as Aurore de Nevers
* Yann Collette as Peyrolles
* Jean-Franois Stvenin as Cocardasse
* Didier Pain as Passepoil
* Charlie Nelson as Esope
* Claire Nebout as Blanche de Caylus
* Philippe Noiret as Philippe d'Orlans
* Jacques Sereys as Caylus
* Renato Scarpa as Paolo
* Ludovica Tinghi as Ornella
* James Thirre as Marcello
* Urbain Cancelier as Argenson
* Sacha Bourdo as Giuseppe
* Margot Marguerite as Bergues
* Franois Levantal as The Knight
* Jean Antolinos as Magistrat
* Simon Doniol-Valcroze as Agioteur d'Ursulines
* Xavier Doumen as Spadassin cour de ferme
* Etienne Draber as Un courtier
* Grard Gros as D'Esparon
* Jean Le Rouzic as Chapelain Caylus
* Thierry Nenez as Domestique Caylus
* Jacques Villa as Chambellan
Production
Filming locations
'On Guard' was filmed on location in France at the Chteau-Ville-Vieille, in Hautes-Alpes, the Htel de Sully in Paris 4, Le Mans in Sarthe, and the Place des Vosges in Paris 4, and various locations in Queyras in Hautes-Alpes.Release
'On Guard' was released on 3 December 1997 in France.
Reception
Critical response
'On Guard' received generally positive reviews in the United States. In his review in 'The New York Times', A. O. Scott described the film as "full of durable cinematic pleasures: a little sex, a lot of sword fighting and a plot that combines heady passion with complicated political intrigue." Scott singled out Auteuil's performance delivered with "unabashed gusto and unexpected warmth."In his review for Salon.com, Charles Taylor called 'On Guard' "one of the best swashbucklers in movie history", writing, "For sheer entertainment it puts nearly everything else that's playing to shame. De Broca's film is a delight from top to bottom, packed with romance, adventure, beautifully executed swordplay and a sumptuous period look." Taylor described Auteuil's performance as "simply wonderful" and that "his range seems to be as wide as that of almost any actor now working in the movies". Taylor continues:
In his review in the 'Los Angeles Times', Kevin Thomas called the film "an enchanting, richly detailed period piece" and arguably Philippe de Broca's "most substantial film." Thomas goes on to write:
In his review on the What's on TV website, Jason Best writes, "As adroit and artful as his hero, de Broca gets the tone of Le Bossu perfectly rightromantic, thrilling and with a sense of fun that never slips into parody or self-mockery." In his review on the Foster on Film website, Matthew Foster wrote, "'On Guard' is the kind of fun Swashbuckler that Hollywood has forgotten how to make. A few subtitles are well worth the price for some stirring adventure."
On the review aggregator web site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 87% positive rating from top film critics based on 31 reviews.
Accolades
See also
* 'Le Bossu' (1959)
References
Buy On Guard (1997 film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1997