Fan-Fan the Tulip

1951

1h 39m

Comedy

List

70%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

74%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Roguish young peasant Fanfan (Gérard Philipe) escapes being wed to a farm girl when a gypsy, Adeline (Gina Lollobrigida), predicts that he'll find glory in the army, then marry a princess. After enlisting, Fanfan learns that Adeline is the recruiter's daughter and offered a phony prediction to get him to join, but he decides to make the fortune come true anyway. During a sword fight, he rescues the grateful king's daughter, which convinces him that fate is on his side.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

You get a sense not only of Philipe's professional training, which clearly honed his skills in choreography and movement, but also of his natural charms. That the actor performs so effortlessly, so casually, is the real magic here.

Oct 12, 2006

Full Review

Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Starring the go-to couple of Grard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida, it features duels, chases and low-cut costumes, all in glorious black and white.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 25, 2006

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Enjoyable but undeniably creaky; what played as glorious period tomfoolery to European festival juries and discerning U S audiences in the early 1950s now just seems quaintly pleased with itself.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 18, 2006

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Penelope Houston

The Spectator

The film is rather more decorative to look at than such Anglo-Saxon equivalents as The Crimson Pirate, but Christian Jaque's opulent, heavy-handed manner tends to sacrifice wit and elegance to some only moderately entertaining burlesque heroics.

Jun 19, 2018

Full Review

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

[A] delightfully funny sendup of swashbuckler movies...

Rated: B+

Nov 16, 2006

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Even though the film moves at a snappy pace, its story still doesn't move fast enough.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 3, 2006

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Marjorie W

It was better than expected. It is a vehicle for the fabulous Gerard!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/07/23

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Audience Member

Fanfan La Tulipe is a charming adventure romance comedy infused with enjoyable sword choreography featuring a mischievous Fanfan in search of love and destiny. Playful.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A really fun movie. The dialog is hilarious, the fight scenes are clever, plus there's some really amazing cinematography. So many modern action/romances have tried really hard to capture the feel of classics like this. Also, I don't think The Princess Bride would have existed without this film so thanks Fanfan! (Be warned, there is also a modern remake of Fanfan by the same name. Stay away!)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Probably, one of the best adventure movies I have ever seen! A true delight!!! A cinefeast!!! I can't remember any adventure movie of recent years that could offer such a pleasure! Brilliant performances of Gerard Philipe! Viva France!!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Original one was Brilliant as well the Remake with Vincent Perez.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fanfan is kind of a dick. The character is meant to be a lovable scamp but I just didn't like him at all. The baudy humor is supposed to be funny simply by virtue of being baudy. The story may appeal to diehard swashbuckler fans, I thought it was all a bit old hat. The third act brings a few delights: a well-choreographed sword fight at the convent, an excitingly shot stagecoach chase, and a climax with Duck Soup-esque lunacy. But it was too little, too late for this dud.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Christian-Jaque

Director

Gérard Philipe

Fanfan La Tulipe

Gina Lollobrigida

Adeline La Franchise

Marcel Herrand

Louis XV

Olivier Hussenot

Tranche-Montagne

Henri Rollan

Le maréchal d'Estrée

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Synopsis

Roguish young peasant Fanfan (Gérard Philipe) escapes being wed to a farm girl when a gypsy, Adeline (Gina Lollobrigida), predicts that he'll find glory in the army, then marry a princess. After enlisting, Fanfan learns that Adeline is the recruiter's daughter and offered a phony prediction to get him to join, but he decides to make the fortune come true anyway. During a sword fight, he rescues the grateful king's daughter, which convinces him that fate is on his side.

Director: Christian-Jaque
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (DVD): Nov 18, 2008
Runtime: 1h 39m