Against All Flags (1952) Reviewed

Against All Flags (1952) is a story of swashbuckling espionage set in Madagascar in the year 1700. Brian Hawke, played by Errol Flynn, is an officer in the Royal Navy whose mission is to infiltrate a fortified settlement of pirates who threaten trade in the Indian Ocean. Presenting himself as a deserter who now desires to join the pirates and sail "against all flags," Hawke must allay suspicions that he is a spy as he attempts to learn the pirates' defenses.

There are, however, complications, and foremost among them is the daughter of the Grand Mogul whom he saves from a burning ship and whose true identity he must conceal lest the pirates ransom her or worse, which would put at risk the life of every Englishman in India. Mistress Stevens is the other complication. Otherwise known as "Spitfire" (and played accordingly by Maureen O'Hara), Stevens is a strong-willed woman with her own ship, which entitles her to a place amongst the captains who rule the pirate port. Both women take an interest in Hawke and, well, that accounts for half the story.

There are many attempts throughout the film to convey the bravado, wit, and charm of Flynn's classic swashbuckling forays, but it is merely superficial when there is no greater drama to support it. The importance of stopping the pirates is undermined by both the lack of commitment by the Royal Navy (one ship to destroy an entire fortified port?) and the buffoonery of its officers (of a kind more in keeping with Gilbert and Sullivan than with reality). The importance of defending the honor of the Grand Mogul's daughter is rather compromised by the lighthearted portrayal of women being sold at auction as "lawful wedded wives" to pirates, one of whom asks upon purchasing his spouse, "Now that I got her, what does I do with her?" The importance of any serious aspect of the story whatsoever is utterly deflated by the stilted dialogue, the unconvincing sets, the freshly laundered costumes of nearly every ne'er-do-well inhabitant of the pirate port, and the clownish acting of every actor in the film with the exception, to a degree, of Flynn, O'Hara, and perhaps the two actors playing Hawke's subordinates, Jones and Harris (Phil Tully and John Alderson).

Flynn seems obviously tired in this film, but O'Hara manages to infuse her role with as much subtlety and energy in the right places as the shallow writing will allow. Anthony Quinn, who plays Captain Brasiliano, the chief villain, plays his role as it was probably written: as a loud, cloddish bully. The worst performances belong to Bill Radovich as Hassan, the eunuch on the Grand Mogul's ship (giving what appears to be an impersonation of Curly Joe Dorita), and Paul Newlan as Crop-ear, the pirate who doesn't know what do with the "wife" he bought. They were undoubtedly intended as comic relief, but the only relief they provided was their absence.

At another time, with another writer, another director, another studio, and a change of almost the entire cast, Against All Flags might have been a good romantic adventure in the swashbuckling tradition. Instead, it is a lighthearted musical with only one song (a sea chantey sung by Flynn) performed as if by a local community theatre. Against All Flags is not entirely without its merits, but they are easier to observe if one's expectations are low.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Mediocre
Acting: Poor
Cinematography: Fair
Stunts: Fair
Swordplay: Fair
Panache: Fair

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Fair


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 29 March 2011.]


Addendum

Written by: Æneas MacKenzie and Joseph Hoffman
Directed by: George Sherman
Performed by: Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn, et al.

Fanfan la Tulipe (1952) Reviewed

It would be easy in a review to spoil the fun of a film such as Fanfan la Tulipe by offering even the barest of descriptions of its plot. Much of the delight in watching it is derived from the simplest surprises, so much so that one cannot even describe how its titular protagonist, Fanfan, earned the sobriquet of la Tulipe without depriving the audience of one of the film's pleasures.

Suffice it to say that Fanfan (played by Gérard Philipe) is a happy-go-lucky rogue, meaning no one any harm, who is merely minding his own business (i.e., having a tumble in the hay with the farmer's daughter), when he is rudely interrupted and pursued by a mob with the intent of forcing him to marry said daughter. Set in France during the reign of Louis XV, it is a time of war, and recruiters for the King's armies are working hard to replenish their ranks so the grand game of war can continue. This, Fanfan decides, is his opportunity to escape imminent matrimony, so he makes his break to enlist. Fanfan, alas, is not the soldierly type, but he is the swashbuckling type, and his antics are the stuff of legend against the backdrop of earnestly waged European warfare.

Being a French (and Italian) film set in France during a romantic era, there is, of course, l'amour, and it is naturally the prime motivator. Without revealing too much, the cast includes Sylvie Pelayo as Princess Henriette, Geneviève Page as the Marquise de Pompadour, and Gina Lollobrigida as Adeline, all three of whom are distractingly beautiful, and all three of whom play their parts perfectly.

Philipe is flawless as the iconic hero of the film. Whimsical, rambunctious, charmingly naïve, and disarmingly wise, his Fanfan propels the story like a charging D'Artagnan. To his credit, Philipe performed most of his own stunts—of which there were many—and performed them extremely well. (Fanfan la Tulipe is replete with daring stunts and combat scenes, and its carriage chase sequence is one of the best chases ever filmed.)

If the film were a triptych, the Folly of War would be the third panel accompanying Love and Adventure. Indeed, beginning with the introduction, the 18th century European institution of (ostensibly) civilized warfare is roundly mocked, and this mockery continues throughout the film with satirical depictions of recruitment, training, tactical planning, battles, and espionage. The primary antagonists, as all three elements converge, are Marshal d'Estrées (Henri Rollan) and Louis XV (Marcel Herrand), both of whom are played impeccably.

Fanfan la Tulipe is deservedly regarded as a classic of French filmmaking and the swashbuckling genre. In both regards, its greatness is undimmed and it remains a joy to behold.

Writing: Great
Directing: Great
Acting: Great
Cinematography: Superb
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Superb

Overall Rating: Great
Swashbuckling Rank: Great/Superb


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 28 September 2012.]


Addendum

Written by: René Wheeler, René Fallet, Christan-Jaque, and Henri Jeanson
Directed by: Christian-Jaque
Performed by: Gérard Philipe, Gina Lollobrigida, Marcel Herrand, Olivier Hussenot, Henri Rollan, Nerio Bernardi, Jean-Marc Tennberg, Geneviève Page, Sylvie Pelayo et al.