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Les Aventures de Till L'Espiègle
1956 Adventure / History / Comedy
 Review
Gérard Philipe’s one and only directorial credit was for this
ambitious adaptation of a well-known 19th Century novel by the Belgian
writer Charles De Coster. By the time he made this film, Philipe
was one of the leading stage and screen actors in France, although his
career would be cut short a few years later with his premature
death. As well as directing the film, Philipe also plays the lead
role, one that is reminiscent of the heroic swashbuckler that he had
played in Fanfan la Tulipe (1952), one of
his most popular films.The release of Les Aventures de Till L’Espiègle coincided with the Soviets’ decision to send tanks into Budapest in November 1959. This may have contributed to the lukewarm reaction the film received, and its flop effectively curtailed Gérard Philipe’s filmmaking aspirations. Although somewhat dated and occasionally very silly (the ice skating chase sequence being a case in point), the film manages to be an enjoyable historical romp, enlivened by a rich palate that evokes the paintings of Pieter Bruegel. © filmsdefrance.com 2009 Write a review for this film...User Comments
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Director:
Gérard Philipe, Joris Ivens
Starring: Gérard Philipe, Jean Vilar, Fernand Ledoux, Nicole Berger, Jean Carmet Synopsis
In the 15th Century, Flanders is governed by Spain, although the
inhabitants of the village of Damme appear to be happily unconcerned by
this fact. When one patrol of Spanish soldiers is swallowed up by
sinking sands, the villagers are punished by another patrol. With
the village set alight and several villagers, including his father,
dead, the young troublemaker Till swears he will have his
revenge. Whilst employed as a jester to the Spanish governor,
Till manages to thwart a plot against the Prince of Orange and the
Flemish nobles who are opposed to the Spanish occupation. With
the seeds of revolution well and truly sown, Till’s fun has only just
begun...
Credits
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© filmsdefrance.com 2009