Fanfan la Tulipe (2003) - film review

To escape marriage to a farmer’s daughter, Fanfan la Tulipe falls into the welcome arms of a recruiting sergeant for Louis XV’s army.  Fanfan believes that by starting a military career he will end up marrying one of the king’s daughters.  At least this is what a mischievous gypsy, Adeline, has told him…

This insipid remake of a 1952 classic starring Gérard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida was produced and directed by the same team that brought us Taxi 2 and it is clearly intended for the same audience.  Luc Besson’s shallow comic book humour decimates what would otherwise have been a pretty mediocre script and Gérard Krawczyk’s direction lacks the inspired touch of his earlier works.  Serious enthusiasts of the French historical drama are advised to go elsewhere; this one’s for alcopop-saturated teenagers.

Vincent Perez does a pretty good job as the eponymous swashbuckling hero, but his overly choreographed fight scenes look increasingly camp as the film progresses, to the extent that you almost expect him to break into a version of the Monty Python “Lumberjack Song” at any moment (well, it would explain Fanfan’s reluctance to get married…).  Penélope Cruz’s performance has the flatness and texture of an anorexic pancake, although, to be fair, the dialogue she is given is pretty atrocious and would probably turn a greater actress than she to stone.  The one area where the film does just about pass muster is its handful of action scenes – the fights are energetic and exciting, albeit needlessly gory (in the Grand Guignol sense).

Whilst the jokes are generally awful (and would even make an alcopop-saturated teenager cringe), there are a few places where the comedy works well.  Didier Bourbon gives an interesting – and entertaining – interpretation of Louis XV, whilst Hélène de Fougerolles is divine in the part of Madame de Pompadour.  It may lack the panache, wit and intelligence of Christian-Jaque’s 1952 film, but this blockbuster remake does at least have a few things going for it.

© James Travers 2005

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