Line #42 Film/LeCapitan


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lecapitan.jpg]]
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3	''Le Capitan'' (English title: ''Captain Blood'') is a 1960 French {{swashbuckler}} film directed by André Hunebelle, starring Creator/JeanMarais, Creator/{{Bourvil}} (the second time in a row with the two of them after ''Film/{{Le Bossu\|1959}}''), Elsa Martinelli, Arnoldo Foà, Creator/GuyDelorme and Christian Fourcade. It is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the eponymous novel]] by Michel Zévaco.
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5	In the year 1616, 15-year old [[UsefulNotes/LetatCestMoi King]] of UsefulNotes/{{France}} UsefulNotes/LouisXIII (Fourcade) is surrounded and kept away from power by his mother Marie de Medici and her protégé, a minister and marshal from Italy, Concino Concini (Foà), who plans to usurp the throne. The chevalier (knight) François de Capestang (Marais) witnesses the murder of his friend, the Marquis de Teynac, by Rinaldo (Delorme), Concini's main henchman, who has been tasked to eliminate all influent nobles who could stand in Concini's way up to the throne. Capestang is saved just in time by Gisèle (Martinelli), the daughter of Duke Charles d'Angoulême, who conspires with many nobles against both Concini and the king.
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7	Now working to unmask Concini's sinister conspiracy, Capestang will do his best to protect both the king and Gisèle, who he has fallen in love with, with the help of Cogolin (Bourvil), a jester whose life he saved.
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9	!!Tropes:
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11	* AdaptationNameChange: The hero goes from Adhémar de Trémazenc de Capestang in the novel to François de Trémazenc de Capestang in the film.
12	* AdaptedOut: Armand Jean du Plessis, later better known as UsefulNotes/CardinalRichelieu (though not yet made a Cardinal) appears in the novel, but not in the film.
13	* ArtisticLicenceHistory:
14	** Concino Concini and his wife Leonora Galigai got the HistoricalVillainUpgrade treatment, trying to outright murder king Louis XIII, which they never did in real life.
15	** The real Charles d'Angoulême did conspire against a French king, but he did so against Louis XIII's father, Henri IV, in 1604, and not against Louis XIII himself in 1616. He served the French Crown loyally by this point, after narrowly escaping execution in 1604.
16	** Charles d'Angoulême also did have a daughter -- two actually, but none of them was named Gisèle.
17	** The final duel between Capestang and Rinaldo takes place on the ramparts and roof of the castle of Pierrefonds. Most of the roof and ramparts were "restored" by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the "Troubadour style" (some describe it as "Neo-gothic") of the mid-to-late 19th century, which was TheThemeParkVersion of the "medieval" style.
18	* BadassBoast[=/=]PreAsskickingOneLiner: Upon being trapped by Rinaldo and his goons after the meeting with Concini, Capestang is ordered to surrender his sword. His answer to Rinaldo:
19	-->'''Capestang:''' Come and take it, assassin! So I will make you pay for the murder of the Marquis de Teynac! ''[the fight begins]''
20	* BeardOfEvil: Concini is the BigBad and sports a goatee. His ruthless enforcer Rinaldo is also bearded.
21	* BigBad: Concino Concini combines CorruptPolitician, TheStarscream and EvilChancellor.
22	* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn: Rinaldo's favorite move to kill someone is to throw his [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrying_dagger parrying dagger]].
23	* TheCavalierYears: The films is set in France at the beginning of the 17th century, a few years after the assassination of king Henri IV and at the very end of Marie de Medici's regency.
24	* ChandelierSwing: Following his meeting with Concini, Capestang is trapped by Rinaldo and his men. He fights them even when outnumbered, and [[VineSwing escapes using the rope of a chandelier to swing]] to a window.
25	* CourtJester: Cogolin manages to become the favorite jester of the young king Louis XIII, which comes in handy when he has to spy on the court for Capestang in order to protect the king.
26	* DeadpanSnarker: Some characters have their snarky moments. Even the young inexperienced king.
27	-->'''Concini:''' Your Majesty receives comedians?\
28	'''Louis XIII:''' Better than making them ministers.
29	* DeathGlare: Rinaldo's default facial expression is a menacing stare, reinforced by Guy Delorme's dark eyes and {{beard\|Of Evil}}.
30	* DepravedDwarf: Leonora Galigai's MasterPoisoner is a dwarf.
31	* DisneyVillainDeath: How Rinaldo dies. Capestang [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice skewers him with his sword]], and he falls from the castle's rampart.
32	* DirtyCoward: Rinaldo is a villainous and cowardly CombatPragmatist who prefers throwing daggers in his victims' back to fighting them.
33	* TheDragon: Rinaldo is the ruthless main henchman of Concini.
34	* TheDulcineaEffect: Capestang risks his life to free Gisèle out of love for her, yet he only met her twice -- the first time she was taking care of his wounds and disappeared without a word, and she pretended to not know him the second time he met her.
35	* TheFettered: François of Capestang is an incorruptible hero, a man of honor who defends justice and his king, despising cowardice and treachery. Concini describes him as coming from a "small, but good nobility", to which Capestang agrees, especially about the "good" part, pointing out his family's honor in his refusal to become a DoubleAgent for Concini.
36	* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Happens to Capestang as Gisèle saves him and helps him heal his wounds at the beginning. She doesn't reciprocate the feelings at first, quickly leaving him while he sleeps, and deliberately ignores him until he comes to her rescue.
37	* ForeignRulingClass: As in RealLife, Concino Concini and Leonora Galigai are Italian nobles who ingratiated themselves with Queen Regent Marie de' Medici (the Italian consort of the late King Henry IV) and gained much power at the French court.
38	* TheHero: François of Capestang, an incorruptible knight who's loyal to the Crown of France and will do the impossible to save the woman he loves.
39	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Quite a few historical figures show up: UsefulNotes/LouisXIII (at age 15), [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de%27_Medici Marie de Medici]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concino_Concini Concino Concini]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonora_Dori Leonora Galigai]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Valois,_Duke_of_Angoulême Duke Charles d'Angoulême]].
40	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: While he allowed the French treasury to be pillaged and used his status as favorite of the young king's mother to become one of the most important persons in the kingdom of France, and attracted a hatred from most of the nobility that would cause his downfall as a result, it is not sure if Concini really planned to usurp the throne in RealLife. Here, he clearly wants to, makes sure young king Louis XIII doesn't get involved in important matters and even outright tries to have him murdered.
41	* ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: Capestang seeks revenge against Rinaldo, Concini's [[TheDragon dragon]], who killed his friend the Marquis of Teynac right in front of him.
42	* KilledOffscreen: Concini is arrested and executed offscreen in Paris on the king's orders shortly before the FinalBattle happens at the castle of Saint-Leu.
43	* MasterPoisoner: Concini and his wife Leonora use the services of an expert poison-maker, who happens to be a [[DepravedDwarf dwarf]]. When asked where his deadly talent comes from, he answers "Nature has played a mean trick on me. I'm not done paying it back."
44	* MasterSwordsman: François of Capestang is among the best swordsmen in the kingdom, and it shows in every one of his fight scenes.
45	* MurderByMistake: Luckily for Cogolin, one of Concini's guards takes the poisoned wine that was meant for the young king from his hand and drinks it.
46	* MustMakeAmends: Béatrice of Beaufort has been blackmailed by Concini into selling out Charles of Angoulême and his loyalists. As she realizes her detained father is already dead, she rushes to Capestang to tell him the truth to prevent a massacre at the castle of Saint-Leu.
47	* PerfectPoison: The poison Concini intends for the young king to drink is undetectable and fast-acting. The unfortunate guard who treats himself to the [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned wine]] dies a few seconds after drinking it.
48	* PluckyComicRelief: Cogolin, played by Bourvil. Quite similar to his role in ''Film/{{Le Bossu\|1959}}'', he is the hero's comical sidekick, except this time he is also a jester by trade.
49	* {{Sidekick}}: Much like in ''Film/{{Le Bossu\|1959}}'' the year before, Creator/{{Bourvil}} plays a good-natured comical sidekick to Jean Marais.
50	* SteppingStoneSword: Capestang uses daggers to climb the wall of the castle of Piefferond to rescue Gisèle, who's imprisoned inside.
51	* TakingTheBullet: ''Taking the dagger'', that is. Béatrice of Beaufort places herself in the trajectory of Rinaldo's throwing dagger so Gisèle of Angoulême won't take it. She most likely [[DeathSeeker preferred to die]] because the burden of her treason was too much to handle.
52	* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Leonora Galigai and Concini have king Louis' wine poisoned. Cogolin is on the verge of drinking from it when one of Concini's guards snatches the glass from him, drinks it and dies.
53	* TitleDrop: Upon their first meeting, Concini mockingly compares Capestang's name and behaviour to a CommediaDellArte archetype, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Capitano Capitan]].
54	* TortureCellar: Cogolin tries to flee Concini's guards after discovering that the king's wine was poisoned. He tries to hide in a room... only to find out it's a torture chamber. Then he faints there, and wakes up tied with his naked feet above a fire and metal spikes above his head.
55	* UndyingLoyalty: Capestang is driven by his loyalty to king Louis XIII through and through.
56	* UnholyMatrimony: The one remotely positive thing that can be said about Concini is that he and his equally wicked wife Leonora are a very mutually devoted evil couple. She happily partakes in his evil schemes, and he promises her the position of Queen while doting on her in the scenes they're together.

Context Film / LeCapitan