Film Review
Swashbuckling action historicals were hugely popular in France in the 1950s, and André
Hunebelle was presumably hoping to capitalise on the success of Christian-Jaque's 1952
film
Fanfan
la Tulipe with his own early offering in the genre.
Cadet-Rousselle
(1954) sees the improbable casting of François Périer as the lead
romantic adventurer, aided and abetted (mostly abetted) by popular comic performer Bourvil.
Some distinguished character actors, such as Noël Roquevert, and some attractive
ingénues, such as Dany Robin, complete the cast line-up.
It has to be said that
Cadet-Rousselle is
by no means the best example of its kind, and Hunebelle would do a far better job with
his later historicals,
Le
Bossu (1959) and
Le
Capitan (1960). Whilst a great film actor in his own right, François
Périer appears misplaced as an action hero, having neither the physique or charisma
of a Gérard Philipe or a Jean Marais. By contrast, Bourvil is very much in
his element as the cowardly buffoon, a role he would reprise a number of times in the
years that followed. The main weaknesses with Cadet-Rousselle, however, lie
in its uninspired direction and its pedestrian, if not to say tedious, storyline.
Lacking a strong driving narrative and the kind of energy you would expect of a decent
swashbuckler, the film feels pretty flat when compared with other, far better, examples
such as
Fantan la Tulipe.
© James Travers 2006
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next André Hunebelle film:
L'Impossible Monsieur Pipelet (1955)
Film Synopsis
France, 1789. Although Cadet-Rousselle is deeply in love with Isabelle,
he knows that he cannot marry her as she is the mayor's daughter and he is a mere peasant.
As he travels to Paris to start a new life, Cadet-Rousselle is attacked by a party of bandits
and left for dead. He is found by some gypsies and they allow him to
join them and participate in their public entertainments. It isn't
long before our hero is in love again - this time with the pretty gypsy girl Violetta. The
gypsies' leader gives Cadet-Rousselle a crucial errand to undertake. He must deliver a message to someone
of great importance in Paris. Accompanied by the comical but helpful gypsy Jérôme,
Cadet-Rousselle sets out on this vital mission but he is soon captured by
revolutionary police. He is charged with being a royalist spy, a crime
that is a capital offence...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.