| Tym Corbett | 23 Nov 2007 2:37 a.m. PST |
Hope you have all seen the two films now?
So between these two swordsmen who is your money on?
Which film was the best in your opinion?
and is either better than our Musketeer films? |
| Frothers Did It Anyway | 23 Nov 2007 2:46 a.m. PST |
Do you mean Alatriste? Very flat and disappointing IMO. Dunno about any new version of Cyrano but I do like the Gerard Depardieu one. |
| Tym Corbett | 23 Nov 2007 3:01 a.m. PST |
Sorry my bad sepllnig
Yes I do mean the Depardieu one.
I have also noted the thread below this one ;-(
anyone have an idea for a film for this period they would like to see?
Possiblly a remake of the Last Valley? |
| Huscarle | 23 Nov 2007 3:58 a.m. PST |
Cyrano was the more enjoyable film, but the French are very good at filming these swashbucklers. Check out "Le Bossu" (at least 2 different versions on DVD) for another cracker.
Not sure what you mean by "our Musketeer" films, do you mean the 3 Musketeers, and if so what version?
There is an earlier Hollywood version of "Cyrano" starring Mel Ferrer which wasn't bad. |
| Thistledo | 23 Nov 2007 5:04 a.m. PST |
I love Cyrano (the Depardieu version)
The best of the Three Musketeer films are the ones scripted by George McDonald Fraser. Originally made as one film then released as two films in 1973 I think.
Le Bossu was excellent
Fille de d'Artagnan was not brilliant but I enjoyed it a lot. |
| Frothers Did It Anyway | 23 Nov 2007 5:22 a.m. PST |
Fille de d'Artagnan has Sophie Marceau which is reason enough to watch it! The French "get" swashbucklers better than Hollywood because they're not afraid to take the subject matter seriously. After all, Dumas is a national literary hero in France. Hollywood types are embarrassed/confused by history and stories about honour and justice. Thus Pirates of the Caribbean, a series of films aimed at jibbering baboons and based on a fairground ride for heaven's sake, masqueurades as a swashbuckler. The first of the Antonio Banderas Zorro films nearly had the right tone but the second was pathetic. Hollywood, it seems, can only swashbuckle if it's all done for laughs. Alatriste, unlike the books which have exactly the right attitude, took itself far too seriously though. For myself I'd love to see a really good modern adaption of a Sabatini story, Scaramouche or Captain Blood being the most obvious choices. But I doubt it'll ever happen… |
| DeWolfe | 23 Nov 2007 5:31 a.m. PST |
I liked Errol Flynn's Captain Blood. While Hollywood can't seem to do a good swashbuckler anymore they certainly had it down pat in the '30's-'40's. Who need's remakes, the origionals are great! |
| Huscarle | 23 Nov 2007 5:44 a.m. PST |
I agree that the earlier 30s-40s swashbucklers were excellent from "Captain Blood" to "the Prisoner of Zenda". I'm rather fond of the 1950s Stewart Granger swashbucklers too, films like "Scaramouche", "Moonfleet" "Saraband for Dead Lovers" and even "Swordsman of Siena".
There are 2 excellent versions of "The 3 Musketeers", the 1948 & 1973, and the 1973 version justs wins. |
| asa1066 | 23 Nov 2007 7:29 a.m. PST |
I really wish they had shown more of Cyrano's battle against 100 opponents in the movie. What I did see was amazing. It's one of the scenes that inspired me to take up the study of the rapier. I'm no Cyrano, the best I've been able to do was take on three at once (and win). David S. |
Hundvig  | 23 Nov 2007 8:43 a.m. PST |
I'm no Cyrano, the best I've been able to do was take on three at once (and win). That last bit's the important part anyway. Anyone can take on three, or ten, or a hundred enemies at once. Beating them is another story. :) |
| Javier Barriopedro aka DokZ | 23 Nov 2007 8:47 a.m. PST |
You can't possibly compare the two. So different in story and style as they are, it's moot point. It's like comparing The Dirty Dozen with Saving Pvt. Ryan, really. Still, for flashy swordplay Cyrano is the movie to see. Alatriste is far more "real" on that matter and so, the duels seem less awe-inspiring and more "Ouch, he's dead! So fast!" to the viewer. |
