Scaramouche

Scaramouche (1952) starring Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer. On the eve of the French Revolution, the bastard Andre Moreau (Granger) swears vengeance on the aristrocrat who killed his best friend. While training for the sword fight, Moreau disguises himself as Scaramouche, a clown in a traveling show. The movie is full of devilry, sometimes for comic effect, and lots of scenes of sword-fighting. There are also some interesting turns of plot in which Moreau thinks one character is his sibling, but it turns out to be someone else -- the most unexpected of all. Although this is an old film with even older themes, it doesn't fail to entertain. The main flaw is the ending, which feels a bit rushed. The movie also has English subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-