Verdict
Summary
Similar in a lot of ways to Zorro and Robin Hood swashbucklers, The Black Tulip is mostly very loose and free with its fun, but towards the end it gets serious all of a sudden, which might be a little jarring for some viewers expecting a completely happy ending. Delon is really good in a dual role, and some of the stunts and sword fights are decent, but the movie really wins as a borderline spoof with mixed up identities, bed hopping, and making fools of the royals.
Plot:
A masked rogue is stealing from the rich, but when he’s scarred in the face by an enforcer to better identify him, the rogue sends for his twin brother to take up his mantle … leading to some complications.
Review:
Guillaume de Saint Preux (Alain Delon) is a handsome rogue living in France in the late 1700’s, a time of great turmoil where the country is on the cusp of the Revolution. Guillaume spends his days riding around the countryside with a mask on his face, robbing the rich of their fortunes at sword point, leaving his calling card: A Black Tulip! At night, he romances the beautiful wives of the aristocracy, and he always gets away. When his thievery becomes enough of an annoyance to the royals, they band together and hire a sheriff to trap him or kill him, but when The Black Tulip gets a nasty slash on his face, he knows he’ll be discovered. So Guillaume sends for his twin brother Julien (also Delon), a humble plebian who idolizes The Black Tulip, but who aspires to join the revolution. When Julien realizes his brother is the famous bandit, he’s elated, but what’s more is that Guillaume passes him the mask and the sword to continue his work while Guillaume uses that to his advantage to try to get his revenge in his own way. While Julien steps into his brother’s life, he enjoys all the spoils, which include the gorgeous women and the life of a rogue, but with his aspirations to become a revolutionary, the role of The Black Tulip can be used to his own advantage in a political sense. When Julien is caught and imprisoned (and set to be hanged), Guillaume pulls a fast one by rescuing his brother, but also taking his place, setting the stage for what would become the start of the revolution.
Similar in a lot of ways to Zorro and Robin Hood swashbucklers, The Black Tulip is mostly very loose and free with its fun, but towards the end it gets serious all of a sudden, which might be a little jarring for some viewers expecting a completely happy ending. Delon is really good in a dual role, and some of the stunts and sword fights are decent, but the movie really wins as a borderline spoof with mixed up identities, bed hopping, and making fools of the royals. 11 years later, Delon would star in his own Zorro film. This was directed by Christian-Jacque.
Kino Lorber brings The Black Tulip to Blu-ray, and it looks great in a 4K restoration. The disc comes with a new audio commentary by a film critic and author, as well as a trailer and a slipcover.
