Le Bossu (aka On Guard) (1997)

Set in 1700 France, a skilled swordsman (Daniel Auteuil) is befriended by the Duke Of Nevers (Vincent Perez). When the Duke is killed by his evil cousin (Fabrice Luchini), in his dying moments he asks the swordsman to avenge him and look after his infant daughter. Based on the 1858 novel by Paul Feval and directed by Philippe De Broca (KING OF HEARTS). A huge success in France where it was a box office hit and received 8 Cesar nominations (the French Oscar), the film didn't even make a blip in the U.S. It's a pity because it's a nice old fashioned swashbuckler with a lot of heart. Covering some 18 years, its tale of revenge and romance is a bit of overlong but never boring. One doesn't think of Daniel Auteuil (JEAN DE FLORETTE, LA REINE MARGOT, LES VOLEURS) when one thinks of swashbucklers but he brings a generous dose of panache as the loyal swordsman who must play father to a girl (Marie Gillain) while plotting the revenge on her father's killer. It's got action, romance and adventure all skillfully rendered. What more can one ask. With Philippe Noiret, Yann Collette and Claire Nebout.