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Fanfan La Tulipe by Christian-Jacque
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Gerard Philipe, Gina Lollobrigida Director: Christian-Jacque Brand: Image Entertainment DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Original Language); English (Dubbed) Format: Black & White, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 99 minutes DVD Release Date: 2008-11-18 Audience Rating: Unrated Studio: Criterion Collection
Movie Reviews of Fanfan La TulipeMovie Review: Criterion Collection - Indispensable Authority on Film Summary: 5 Stars
This is a prime example of the influence Criterion asserts on film fans. Until three weeks ago I had never heard of "Fanfan la Tulipe" nor it's primary stars. I read the brief blurb at the Criterion site before nearly impulsively purchasing the dvd. Not surprisingly, I wasn't disappointed with either the dvd presentation or the quality of the film itself.
As I've come to expect from Criterion - the film print looks fantastic and the essay booklet is interesting and informative. The Criterion essays are always important because they not only provide a bit of background information behind the film, but also point out the lasting influence the work acheived. For instance, this essay includes an amusing quote from critic Georges Sadoul as well as a few ideas on why this film isn't as well known today despite its popularity upon release.
There are numerious distillations of the hilariously clever plot of this film, so I won't go into that. Suffice it to say that if you're a fan of period films, particularly Tyrone Power or Errol Flynn swashbucklers, you're going to have a great time with this one.
This is one Criterion film in which there simply isn't much bonus material. The brief program about lead actor Gerard Philipe is the only one of note here. The colorized clip isn't worth much, but I'm always happy for anything extra on a dvd.
Side notes: Film snobs may whine that "popcorn" releases such as this aren't worthy of the iconic Criterion logo, but its just this sort of celluloid elitism that Criterion is trying to dispel. No longer will the casual film buff search the world over and pay too much for a copy of films like "Before the Rain" or "Mon Oncle Antoine".
The influence, quality, and importance of a film is really all quite subjective anyway. I count "This Sporting Life" among the greatest character studies ever made, while you may find it a boring two hour exercise in watching a dumb brute driving the widow he lives with insane.
Summary of Fanfan La TulipeFANFAN LA TULIPE - DVD Movie
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