Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) - film review

A favourite of King Louis XIII of France, the handsome courtier Bardelys has a reputation for fashion and womanising that is second to none.   His rival, Chatellerault, challenges him that he cannot win the heart of the chaste Roxalanne de Lavedan.   Bardelys accepts the wager and sets out to make his next great conquest, certain of his success.  On the way to the Lavedan castle, he meets a dying man, Lesperon, and assumes his identity, not knowing that he is an anti-royalist rebel...

Lost for nearly eight decades, this silent masterpiece made a surprising return in 2007 thanks to the efforts of dedicated film restorer Serge Bromberg and his company Lobster Films.  When significant "lost" films are bought back from the dead, there is sometimes a feeling of disappointment when we finally get to see them.  This is certainly not the case here – Bardelys the Magnificent is a twenty-four carat cinematic gem that will delight any film enthusiast, particularly aficionados of the swashbuckling adventure genre.   

The film was directed by the great American filmmaker King Vidor and is based on a popular historical novel by Rafael Sabatini.   The lead characters are played with charm and conviction by John Gilbert, who resembles a prototype Errol Flynn, particularly in the spectacular action sequences, and Eleanor Boardman, Vidor’s wife.   Watch close enough and you will see a very young John Wayne in one of his earliest film appearances.   Well paced and imaginatively directed, offering a satisfying melange of romance, adventure and comedy, Bardelys the Magnificent is a delightful film that scores very highly on both the entertainment and artistic scales.

© James Travers 2008

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