This is surely one of Hollywood's greatest achievements. Nothing jars in this film, and there are scenes in it that can still take the breath away. The climax is not alone in doing that, and watch out for the final figure in the final frames of the film. The future of Europe is there, and no one knows it! A stroke of genius, and no spoilers. The plot is basically a swashbuckler story, but the film is so much more. It is also about the theatre of the time, and Scaramouche the star of it, behind his incredibly effective mask, steals for me almost the whole of this cinematic masterpiece. Stewart Granger never made a better film, and Eleanor Parker never more delightful. Janet Leigh shines as well, and so does Mel Ferrer as the aristocratic ' villain'. It is one of those rare films; one of pure artifice that has profound moments, and also made with a rare wit and intelligence. I cannot end this review without commenting on the colour which too is superb in its 'unreality' that is so real, and neither must I fail to mention the (for me) underrated Nina Foch as Marie Antionette who opens the film, and with an elegance that shines, and this elegance continues from beginning to end. Hollywood (and I am often critical of it) at its best.
Review of Scaramouche
