On Guard!
On Guard! ★★★½ Le Bossu; En Garde 2003
Thrilling story of revenge and swordplay set in 18th century France. Lagardere (Auteuil) attempts to kill the Duke of Nevers (Perez) for money and ends up being taken in and trained by him. Nevers' cousin, the evil Gonzague (Luchini), murders him to grab the family fortune and Lagardere is forced to go into hiding and raise Nevers' daughter Aurore. 16 years later, Lagardere and grown Aurore (Gillain) find themselves in the court of Gonzague, where they put their plot for vengeance into effect. Fantastic swordfighting scenes, complex intrigue, and excellent acting make this a world-class swash-buckler. Based on the frequently adapted 1857 French serial “Le Bossu” by Paul Feval. In French with subtitles. 128m/C VHS, DVD . FR IT GE Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, Marie Gillain, Jean-Francois Stevenin, Didier Pain, Claire Nebout, Philippe Noiret, Yann Collette; D: Philippe de Broca; W: Philippe de Broca, Jean Cosmos, Jerome Tonnerre; C: Jean-Francois Robin; M: Philippe Sarde.