Set in 1789 France on the eve of the French Revolution, a dashing masked hero (Alain Delon) known as the Black Tulip fights the tyranny of the aristocracy and has the support of the oppressed people. But when a fresh scar on his face threatens to reveal his identity to the Baron (Adolfo Marsillach), he brings in a secret weapon ..... his twin brother (Alain Delon). Loosely based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas (THREE MUSKETEERS) and directed by Christian Jacque (FANFAN LA TULIPE). It seems every major male star in France did a swashbuckler at one time or another: Jean Paul Belmondo CARTOUCHE, Gerard Philipe FANFAN THE TULIP, Jean Marais LE BOSSU etc. This swashbuckling farce was Alain Delon's turn. It's delightful! At times, silly and charming, exciting and zany. Maybe he isn't an Errol Flynn but Delon handles a sword with aplomb and even the girls get into it as the film's romantic lead Virna Lisi swashes a buckle or two. The movie was a big hit for Delon and he followed it up with another swashbuckler by playing Zorro. Handsomely shot in 70 millimeter by Henri Decae (THE 400 BLOWS). If you're a fan of the genre, this should satisfy you. With Akim Tamiroff, Dawn Addams and Francis Blanche.
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