Starring John Barrymore, Conrad Veidt and Marceline Day
Produced by Feature Productions
It's 15th century Paris and King Louis XI controls his country not from a majestic throne room, but from the shadowy depths of his castle. He knows that the Duke of Burgundy poses a political threat and must consult his most trusted advisor: the royal astrologer.
Louis is superstitious and terrified, but he sees the the challenge Burgundy poses. The king consults the stars through his astrologer and is told that a battle with Burgundy will end in defeat. The sniveling king reluctantly agrees to embrace his foe as a brother. Of course, it's not entirely clear that the astrologer is basing his decision on the heavens or on payments from Burgundy.
Meanwhile, François Villon, son of a martyred patriot, rules the streets of Paris. He's a renowned poet, but also engages in his share of petty thievery. He is elected King of Fools by the common folk who worship him and a raucous celebration breaks out in the streets.
The mob scene is a major inconvenience for Burgundy and his approaching entourage. The duke orders the crowd to disperse, which leads to a healthy dose of mockery from Villon. For all his failings, the poet remains a patriot and understands the danger Burgundy poses to the king.
Of course, the superstitious king must side with Burgundy or he feels forces of fate and destiny will overthrow him. He exiles Villon from Paris, but not before our hero gets his first view of Charlotte de Vauxcelle, the beautiful noblewoman and soon-to-be unwilling bride of Burgundy.
Outside his beloved city, Villon finds an opportunity for mischief. He and his friends steal a wagon of the king's food, climb the city walls and use a catapult to deliver the food to the starving masses of Paris. When the king's troops converge, he jumps into the catapult himself to escape.
Now the king wants him dead and he can't run forever? Will Villon convince the king to face the real bad guy? Or does he have a date with the guillotine?
The Beloved Rogue shouldn't work. It's a silly film. Barrymore's performance is bad. His love interest is completely and utterly forgettable. The plot turns 180 degrees on a dime.
But damn if I didn't have a good time.
At the start, the tone is completely inconsistent. We start with the burning at the stake of Villon's father when François is still an infant. His wife is screaming, trying to get to the fire. The next morning she somberly walks to the pile of ashes that was her husband, grabs a handful and loads it into a locket.
Next scene? The infant François won't drink his milk unless it's loaded into a wine bottle. Funny, right?
Then we fast forward to the bowels Louis' castle and we are in a horror movie. The it's the adult Villon being silly on the rooftops of Paris.
The tone never completely rights itself, but the pendulum-like swings slow down. We start to understand that François' playful, carefree attitude masks deeper passions. He cavorts with women until he meets "the one." He engages in petty crime until he figures a way into the king's court, then he's the crown's most trusted advisor, the only one capable of telling truth to power.
Key to the film's success are its inventive set pieces. From catapulting fruit into the city to the chase that ensues, all of the film's movements are dictated by what would be fun, not what would be suspenseful or realistic. When Villon drops into a barrel carried by four men, it's not a surprise that none of those hoisting the barrel notice the additional 150 pounds. And it's not a surprise that the barrel is brought into a room with a bear. It's nonsensical, but it also delights. And in the world this film creates? It's the natural order of things.
A key part of the film's appeal is some over-the-top performances. Barrymore runs around a snow-covered Paris in Robin Hood tights, over-emoting and sporadically dancing every time a fit of happiness hits him. It's bad, but it's so bad it's good. The manic energy of the performance fits the material. He seems to be having fun and you can't help but smile along.
The climax features lots of buildup, but no real pay off. Burgundy is preparing to execute Villon in front of Charlotte and a crowd of Parisians. However, we start seeing that much of the assembly are Villon's men. They start producing carefully concealed weapons, removing fake limbs, sometimes even assembling improvised hatchets. Then the moment comes and... Louis reveals himself hidden in the crowd and orders Burgundy arrested. No battle. The scene doesn't so much end as peter out.
The Beloved Rogue is not a good film. It's not a bad one either. It's an entertaining diversion. And sometimes that's enough.
***1/2 out of *****
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