Sink me!

The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian Mckellen, is one of those rare movies that equals the book. Ha! you may say, That is impossible! But I most humbly beg to differ. ;-)


Whether you have read the book by Baroness Emmuska Orczy or not, does not matter. No, actually, it does. You must always read the book first. It is an engaging and suspenseful read, and though it has a couple swear words, I would recommend it wholeheartedly. The plot revolves around Lady Marguerite Blakeney and the mysterious and elusive Scarlet Pimpernel, the figurehead of the league of Englishmen who rescue innocent aristocrats from the bloody and ruthless French Revolution and its Madame le Guillotine. No one knows who this strange man is, only his symbol of a small red flower, and Marguerite's old friend, Citizen Paul Chauvelin, would love to get his hands on him. The plot thickens when Chauvelin blackmails Marguerite into betraying the Scarlet Pimpernel...and the frightful discovery she shortly makes.

The movie is just as great as the book, having the advantage of excellent actors. Jane Seymour, I admit, is not the perfect Marguerite, but I can't imagine a better Scarlet Pimpernel than Anthony Andrews, and Ian Mckellen (Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies) makes a fine Chauvelin. There is a bit of bad language. The only other caveat I offer is that the mystery of the Scarlet Pimpernel is betrayed in the first scene!!! True, it does not lessen the storyline, but it gives the movie a much different feel than the book. So it's better to read the book first. Anthony Andrews is an amazing actor! Not only are his disguises convincing, his Scarlet Pimpernel is strong, intelligent, and gentlemanly: the classic hero, and nothing like the effeminate ones we get in most of today's films.

I have seen this movie many times, and while it is not exactly like the book, it perfectly captures the spirit.