Line #13 Film/LeCapitaineFracasse


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/18867968.jpg]]
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3	''Le Capitaine Fracasse'' (''Captain Fracassa'') is a 1961 French {{swashbuckler}} film directed and written by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel of the same name]] by Creator/TheophileGautier.
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5	It tells the story of baron Philippe of Sigognac (Creator/JeanMarais), an early 17th century destitute nobleman who decides to abandon his castle to join the CommediaDellArte theatre troupe of Hérode (Creator/PhilippeNoiret) out of love for Isabelle (Geneviève Grad), the young actress who plays TheIngenue. But Isabelle is soon stalked by the Duke of Vallombreuse ([[Creator/GerardBarray Gérard Barray]]), who desires her for himself no matter how she rejects his advances.
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7	See also the 1990 film adaptation, ''Film/CaptainFracassasJourney'', which largely did away with the swashbuckler genre.
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9	!!''Le Capitain Fracasse'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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11	* AgeLift: Sigognac is a "young man" in the novel, he's played by then-48 year old Jean Marais.
12	* AndThisIsFor: The {{mook}}s who ambush Sigognac have orders to beat him up and tell him they did it on behalf of Vallombreuse, in retaliation for opposing the latter's VillainousCrush on Isabelle. They all end up [=KOed=] without landing a single blow on Sigognac. At the end of the fight, the last mook standing repeatedly tries to utter it while trying to hit Sigognac, but only manages to do so when he's down.
13	* AntiVillain: The duke of Vallombreuse (played by [[Creator/GerardBarray Gérard Barray]]). Instead of being purely an [[AristocratsAreEvil evil aristocrat]], he is a rather misguided man who's suffered from ParentalNeglect and let his passions take over rational thinking. He survives being ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice and gets a chance at redemption at the end.
14	* ArtImitatesArt: The CommediaDellArte figures drawn in the opening credits emulate the art of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Callot Jacques Callot]].
15	* BadassBoast: Sigognac, to Vallombreuse: "I receive beatings on stage only. Outside, I give them."
16	* CarryABigStick: Hérode's weapon is a big wooden club.
17	* TheCavalierYears: Set in the first half of the 17th century in France.
18	* CombatCompliment: Lampourde is impressed by Sigognac's mastery of the rapier and compliments him when they are duelling.
19	* CommediaDellArte: Hérode's troupe is a pretty good example of Commedia dell'Arte theatre. The Italian names of the archetypal roles were just francized.
20	* {{Determinator}}: Vallombreuse stops at nothing to try to kidnap Isabelle.
21	* DueToTheDead: Matamore dies of malnutrition and cold. He is buried by the troupe on a roadside, as theatre actors were excommunicated by the Church and thus forbidden to be buried in cemeteries. The only thing they can do to honor him is to applaud him, one last time.
22	* TheGrandHunt: At the beginning of the film, a bunch of wealthy nobles are on a hunt on horses. The horse of the lady they took with them starts to run uncontrollably after getting scared by Matamore when the lady bumps on the theatre troupe, and Sigognac rushes in to save her.
23	* GunsAkimbo: Scapin dual-wields flintlock pistols during the assault on Vallombreuse's castle in the climax.
24	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: UsefulNotes/LouisXIII appears in one scene, played by René Charvey.
25	* HonorBeforeReason: Sigognac lives and breathes this trope, just like Jean Marais' other swashbuckler roles at the time. Vallombreuse lacked of respect to Sigognac due to him playing in a low condition theatre troupe and sent {{mook}}s to beat him up. To avenge this, Sigognac demands a duel to the first blood, and wins it.
26	* HotGypsyWoman: Chiquita fits that archetype, although her hotness is not brought up.
27	* ImpoverishedPatrician: Philippe of Sigognac is a baron, but he's penniless. He dresses modestly, his castle is falling in ruins and he has trouble finding meat to eat.
28	* IncestantAdmirer: It turns out Isabelle and Vallombreuse are half-siblings, although Vallombreuse doesn't know it and keeps going after Isabelle.
29	* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Matamore coughs a lot in the scenes preceeding his death.
30	* KnightInShiningArmor: Sigognac, in keeping with the other late 1950s/early 1960s swashbuckler roles of Jean Marais. He will stop at absolutely nothing to defend his honor and protect Isabelle, or save people in danger.
31	* LargeHam:
32	** InUniverse. It's a requirement to play the archetypal Commedia dell'Arte role of the Captain. The troupe's actor who played the Captain dies, and he has to be replaced. Sigognac volunteers to replace him, and hams it up on stage.
33	** Hérode is one even outside the stage. And a BoisterousBruiser too.
34	* LetsFightLikeGentlemen:
35	** Sigognac provokes Vallombreuse into a duel to the first blood for lacking of respect to him.
36	** Lampourde is hired to kill Sigognac. His ambush on Sigognac turns into a gentlemanly duel.
37	* LukeIAmYourFather: The Prince of Moussy figures out Isabelle is his long-lost daughter from a love relation he had with her mother. He reveals it to her at the end.
38	* MasterSwordsman: Sigognac and Lampourde are formidable fencers. Lampourde actually asks Sigognac about the master sworsdman who trained him and name-drops a list of famous people in that field, only for Sigognac to answer that it was an old soldier employed by his father who trained him.
39	* MatronChaperone: Dame Léonarde usuallt plays the duenna on stage.
40	* MayDecemberRomance: Going by the actors' age, Isabelle is 21 years younger than Sigognac.
41	* MementoMacGuffin: Isabelle's ring. It was given to her mother by the Prince of Moussy, Vallombreuse's father (and her mother's lover). This is how he eventually recognizes her and legitimates her.
42	* MercyKill: Chiquita stabs Agostin, her own love, in the heart, right in the middle of his PublicExecution. She does so to prevent him from suffering a death by caning.
43	* NiceGuy: Sigognac is undeniably good at heart.
44	* PluckyComicRelief: Scapin, as befitting with Creator/LouisDeFunes. Although, and it's quite unusual, De Funès is far from stealing the movie due to the role not being as important and [[LargeHam hammy]] as those he took the following years, which cemented his massive success as a comic actor.
45	* RoaringRampageOfRescue: ''Nothing'' can stop Sigognac in the climax as he storms the castle and tears through Vallombreuse's men to rescue Isabelle.
46	* RoguishPoacher: Sigognac's servant poaches on hunting lands that don't belong to his lord so his [[ImpoverishedPatrician non-wealthy lord]] can have some good things for dinner at least.
47	* SameLanguageDub: Italian actor Ricardo Garrone (Jaquemin Lampourde) had to be dubbed in French as he didn't speak the language very well. The dubbing actor was Roger Rudel, the most prominent French voice of Creator/KirkDouglas.
48	* TheShowMustGoOn: When Matamore dies, the troupe is desperate about how they will be able to perform at the castle they are invited too since they need a Captain. Sigognac then volunteers to replace him.
49	* SoreLoser: Vallombreuse loses the duel against Sigognac, but that doesn't stop him from swearing revenge and kidnapping Isabelle.
50	* StalkerWithACrush: Vallombreuse won't let go of his crush on Isabelle and follows her trace up until he kidnaps her.
51	* StormingTheCastle: In the climax, Sigognac, Hérode, Lampourte and Scapin storm the castle in which Vallombreuse is detaining Isabelle. And they don't need to be numerous to do so.
52	* SurpriseIncest: Almost happens. Vallombreuse fancies Isabelle and kidnaps her, not knowing she is his half-sister.
53	* TitleDrop: Following Sigognac's foolish and fearless jump in action against the Gypsy couple who attacked the troupe's convoy and put dummies on the roadside to look like they were more numerous, Léandre compares Sigognac to the Capitaine Fracasse, one of the French names for the Commedia dell'Arte's Captain. Sigognac then adopts that moniker on stage.
54	* TruerToTheText: Minus the AgeLift for Sigognac, it's the most faithful adaptation of the novel to date.
55	* UnderestimatingBadassery: Vallombreuse underestimates Sigognac big time. Especially when sending {{mook}}s after him. They all end up getting their ass kicked.
56	* VillainousCrush: The duke of Vallombreuse fancies Isabelle... and she doesn't return it. [[NotGoodWithRejection It doesn't stop him]] and he sets out to kidnap her, then [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty locks her in his castle]]. She keeps rejecting his advances, and he enjoys it. Worse is that [[IncestantAdmirer she's his half-sister]], although he doesn't know it.
57	* WarriorPoet: Sigognac writes verses, and he's a matchless swordsman. Although, what he writes is pretty bad poetry by his own admission.
58	* WhatADrag: In an unsuccessful attempt to rescue Isabelle, Sigognac ends up dragged behind the horse of the mook who kidnapped her.

Context Film / LeCapitaineFracasse