La Tulipe noire
Encyclopedia
La tulipe noire was only loosely based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. It was basically a star vehicle
for the popular French actor Alain Delon
.
of the same time the script actually used only the main characters of a popular novel
but didn't stick to the original story.
Alain Delon plays here a swashbuckling French Robin Hood
who fights corrupt nobles in the era before the French Revolution
. Like Zorro
the Black Tulip is in his real life a fixture at the court and needs therefore to camouflage himself before he can fight for justice.
Unfortunately Guillaume de Saint Preux, the first Black Tulip, gets injured. Marked by a scar in the face he has to beseech his twin brother Julian to cover for him.
The gentle, clumsy Julian fulfils his brother's wish but Guillaume's arch enemy Baron La Mouche still seeks the Black Tulip. When he feels that there probably is a connection between Guillaume de Saint Preux and the masked hero, has he Julian imprisoned. The original Black Tulip rescues him, but while Julian can escape, his brother is caught in the act and soon afterwards executed.
At the end of the film it shows that Julian succeeds to his brother. He rises to the occasion and is now as good a fighter for justice as his deceased brother was. He has also won the heart of Caroline who supports him.
Alain Delon used the opportunity to demonstrate his range as an actor by playing two different brothers. In 1975 he would again play a masked swashbuckler
in his Zorro film
.
Star vehicle
A star vehicle has historically been a movie, play, TV series, or other production whose primary purpose, besides turning a profit, is to enhance someone's career. Vehicles are most commonly produced when a young or inexperienced actor has signed a long-term contract with a major studio...
for the popular French actor Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
.
Synopsis
Like the popular European Karl May moviesKarl May movies
Karl May films are films based on stories and characters by German author Karl May . The characters Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Kara Ben Nemsi are very famous in Central Europe....
of the same time the script actually used only the main characters of a popular novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
but didn't stick to the original story.
Alain Delon plays here a swashbuckling French Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
who fights corrupt nobles in the era before the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. Like Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
the Black Tulip is in his real life a fixture at the court and needs therefore to camouflage himself before he can fight for justice.
Unfortunately Guillaume de Saint Preux, the first Black Tulip, gets injured. Marked by a scar in the face he has to beseech his twin brother Julian to cover for him.
The gentle, clumsy Julian fulfils his brother's wish but Guillaume's arch enemy Baron La Mouche still seeks the Black Tulip. When he feels that there probably is a connection between Guillaume de Saint Preux and the masked hero, has he Julian imprisoned. The original Black Tulip rescues him, but while Julian can escape, his brother is caught in the act and soon afterwards executed.
At the end of the film it shows that Julian succeeds to his brother. He rises to the occasion and is now as good a fighter for justice as his deceased brother was. He has also won the heart of Caroline who supports him.
Alain Delon used the opportunity to demonstrate his range as an actor by playing two different brothers. In 1975 he would again play a masked swashbuckler
Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler or swasher is a term that emerged in the 16th century and has been used for rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen ever since. A possible explanation for this term is that it derives from a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was applied with much...
in his Zorro film
Zorro (1975 film)
Zorro is a 1975 Italian film based on the character created by Johnston McCulley. Directed by Duccio Tessari, it stars famous French actor Alain Delon as Zorro. The film is the only Zorro film to take place in South America, rather than the traditional California or Mexico...
.