Fanfan la Tulipe: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

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Christian-Jaques was a household name in France during the 40s and 50s but he soon found his style of filmmaking fall out of favor as the New Wave critics targeted him as one of the purveyors of the despised "tradition of quality." He had absolutely no interest in adapting to New Wave experimentation and, even though his name has been all but erased from the film history books, he continued to work regularly until the 1980s.

Philipe put family scandal behind him (his father was convicted and sentenced to death for being a Nazi collaborator but escaped to Spain) to become on of France´s most beloved pop stars for an all-too-brief period of time. "Fanfan" solidified his already rising career; liver cancer ended it in 1959 at the age of 37. Philipe remains a popular icon in France today, somewhat like a James Dean figure though the comparison is a superficial one.

"Fanfan la Tulipe" is hardly a masterpiece, and I often found Fanfan more obnoxious than charming, but the movie still has an appeal that goes beyond Lollobrigida in her prime. Noël Roquevert is outstanding as the villainous and vain Fier-à-Bras, an officer who detests Fanfan and vies for the affection of Adeline. The fight scenes also feature some odd shifts in tone, transforming by playful jousting with smug one-liners into lightning-quick slaughters.

No doubt if "Fanfan" came out today, an enterprising critic looking to be quoted in ad copy would describe it as "Funfun!" But I have higher standards than that.

VIDEO

The film is presented in its original 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio. Yes, you know the drill. Criterion. Great transfer. Sharp contrast. Lovely restoration that removes debris but doesn´t remove the grain. Great work.

AUDIO

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Viewers can listen to an English dub track as well as the original French audio. Optional English subtitles support both dubs.

EXTRAS

This is a modest release by Criterion standards.

The only extras are a 27-minute featurette about the life and career of Gerard Philipe, featuring his daughter Anne-Marie and biographer Gerard Bonal, and a 5-minute clip from the 1997 colorized version of "Fanfan."

The slim insert booklet features an essay by L.A. Times critic Kenneth Turan.

FILM VALUE

"Fanfan la Tulipe" is a trifle and seems like an odd inclusion in the Criterion Collection. On further reflection though, it is a solid representative of a brand of French filmmaking that was once dominant but has been eclipsed by New Wave directors and their film progeny. For all of the French films canonized by Criterion, "Fanfan" is actually a unique choice. That still doesn´t make it a great movie, but it´s enjoyable enough.

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