So this week I want to talk about one of my absolute favorite films. It's not actually a contemporary film and it's really relatively obscure, I think. It's a movie that I'm always a bit wary to show around because if people don't love it, I take it personally or I get defensive. It's pretty silly. That's how I get around my favorite films though. Is anyone else that way?
So, for #33 on my list:
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
This film is based on two books by Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel and El Dorado. The basic plot (which is similar to the '34 version with Leslie Howard) is as follows: Sir Percy Blakeney is the most fashionable fop in London. What no one, including his lovely wife Marguerite, knows is that Sir Percy is also the mysterious hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, who saves innocent French aristocrats from the guillotine. When Percy believes that his wife caused a man and his family to be executed, he is unable to trust her again. Will Marguerite be able to regain her husband's trust? Will Percy be able to rescue the dauphin, heir to the French throne?
It's all very thrilling. I love the Scarlet Pimpernel. I love the books. I love the movies. I love the Broadway musical. I'm basically smitten with Percy Blakeney. I'm collecting the books and I have 11 of the 12 Sir Percy books (that is, the Scarlet Pimpernel books that deal directly with Percy, not his predecessors or descendants. And it's not including Sir Percy Looks at the World, which is another one I want to own). I'm basically obsessed.
So, when I show this movie to anyone and they make fun of it or they say, "this movie is really silly," I get all upset because I've built it up in my mind to absolutely perfect. Do any of you have movies like that? It may not be the best movie ever but it's still a favorite and I will continue to preach its awesomeness. So, it absolutely must be on my top 100 movies list. And there you have it.
And here is one of my favorite promo pictures ever, which just so happens to be from this film!
Oh. Dear. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I love The Scarlet Pimpernel books. I've read the pre-Percy ones about his ancestor, the story about his descendent in a Post WWI world...all the regular series, and some of the short stories. Yes, they are awesome. And no one ever talks about them anymore. (Thank you Mom for having me read the first one for school!)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I love this movie. I've seen one other Pimpernel film. It stunk. Anthony Andrews was pretty near perfect as Percy, and I hardly minded the meshing of two books, because they were two of my faves. Jane Seymour was grand too.
I always imagined Marguerite as a raven haired beauty, even though Baroness Orzcy always said she had strawberry blonde/auburn hair. All the films have her with dark hair...so she must have a brunette personality!