Summary
An episode in the de Guise family struggle to seize power in 1563. Henri I of Lorraine,
the Duc de Guise, rival to King Henri III of Navarre, is stabbed to death by the king’s
bodyguards in the Château de Blois, to the distress of his mistress, the Marquise
of Noirmoutiers...
Review
L’Assassinat du duc de Guise is a film of immense historic importance. One
of the first films to use the narrative form, it proved to be an immense international
success for its production company, Film d’Art, and, by dint of its popularity, helped
to propel cinema from its early pioneering endeavours into a respectable and commercially
viable industry.
The film was based on a stage play and is perhaps the earliest period drama (at least
of the kind we would recognise as such today). It is certainly one of the earliest
films to show character development and have an intellectually satisfying plot.
The film’s success was at least in part attributable to the quality of the script (written
by the academic Henri Lavedan) and the acting. Unusually for its time, the film
employed professional actors, including Charles Le Bargy and Gabrielle Robinne of the
prestigious Comédie française. The photography and set design are
also impressive for the period, as is the music by Camille Saint-Saëns, which was
written especially for the film (reputedly the first narrative film in history to have
this honour).
© James Travers 2002
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