Royal Flash (1975) is what a good swashbuckling spoof ought to be: a ripping adventure punctuated by genuinely comedic moments that are presented in context. Director Richard Lester is a master at melding those elements without sacrificing the integrity of the setting (thus preserving the audience's willing suspension of disbelief, which is always a virtue in the genre of swashbuckling escapism). Royal Flash also manages to be a satire on that swashbuckling classic, The Prisoner of Zenda, by reimagining it as having been inspired by events in the life of Harry Flashman (Malcolm McDowell), a questionable war hero self-described as "a scoundrel, a liar, a cheat, a thief, a coward—and, oh yes, a toady." Both the screenplay and the novel upon which it is based, The Flashman Papers, were written by George MacDonald Fraser.
Beautifully filmed and directed, Royal Flash is equally satisfying as a comedy and as a swashbuckling adventure (albeit with an anti-hero for a protagonist).
* Fraser, George MacDonald. Flashman.
Writing: GoodDirecting: Great
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Great
Humor: Great
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Great
Overall Rating: Great
Swashbuckling Rank: Great
[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 31 August 2011.]
Addendum
Based on: The Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser
Directed by: Richard Lester
Performed by: Malcolm McDowell, Alan Bates, Florinda Bolkan, Oliver Reed, et al.
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