Le corsaire rouge

Technicolor swashbuckler with ample doses of humor. I wasn't expecting much from this film. The only classic swashbucklers I've ever really enjoyed were the Errol Flynn ones. This one always seemed very "kiddy" to me and in some ways it is. It does have an all ages appeal to it. But I tried it out because it has a great reputation and was directed by one of the premiere directors of the 1940's, Robert Siodmak. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed.

The star of the film is Burt Lancaster but he's helped throughout by his real-life friend and former circus partner Nick Cravat. The two do many of their own stunts and it's very enjoyable to watch. Unusual opening where Lancaster talks to the camera seems like something that might have been shot for a trailer but then left in the movie. Rousing score and upbeat tempo throughout. Just a fun movie I would recommend to anybody who isn't a snob about the genre.