On Guard

1997 "Some things are worth dying for"
6.9| 2h8m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 20 December 1997 Released
Producted By: Canal+
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

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Director

Philippe de Broca

Production Companies

Canal+

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On Guard Audience Reviews

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film
ShangLuda Admirable film.
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Deusvolt I first mistook Daniel Auteuil for Gerard Depardieu. The French, it seems, have a predilection for unhandsome actors the likes of Yves Montand and Jean Paul Belmondo. But I am not complaining. I like them because they are so credible.I highly recommend this movie if you liked Scaramouche, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Three Musketeers and other movies featuring dazzling rapier swordplay. The wonderful scenery, excellent choice of locations, intricate props and background really brings you back to France in the 1700s.A nice American connection is made when the villain Gonzague is shown to be selling shareholdings in a land venture in Mississippi which at the time was still in French hands. The armsmasters, fencing instructors and stuntmen did a wonderful job. The "Nevers attack," however, is dubious. A trained fencer can easily foil it.Did you feel like giving the Duke of Nevers a scuff on the head for being so careless with his wealth and his life? But there are real people like that.At times, the plot and dialog become maudlin perhaps as a sop to the ladies who would have to watch the movie with swordplay enthusiasts.
heather-238 but look at the end of the count of Monte cristo. Doutbless the intimacy was not that intense.There is an ick factor, but considering he has saved her life countless times, in the grand scheme of things who else would she marry? She'd be dead eight times over if it wasn't for him.My problem was that Alteuil always appeared 50, he really looked wrong aged for the younger scenes. if a younger man than the duke could have been found, i guess those later scenes would not have worked because then that person would have been too old to play the concept of the older character...they say these feelings just dawned on them, a funny play on Aurore's name, sleeping beauty reference, etc.i consider Aurore's parental re-orientation to having a mother the key change, Aurore is then free to adopt a new figure in the parental role, freeing Lagardere to be a new, "other" role. Does his name mean "the guarding" or something? this movie was good clean fun, and the writing had me wishing so many other movies were as fun. When the Duc goes to knight Lagardere, he finds the knight to be has no Christian name. "Indeed, you lack everything". too funny.
dafyddabhugh The previous comment (about the ending) is valid, from a contemporary standpoint. However, there is such a history, both in literature and in real life in 1700 (and indeed later), of exactly this sort of situation (dancing around a spoiler here) that it didn't bother me... as of course it would have in a more realistic, less fairy-tale-ish movie.I just plain loved it, without the caveat, which is considerably more plausible than, e.g., one brilliant swordsman defeating eight or nine simultaneous attackers <g>.This movie falls somewhere between the Princess Bride and Rob Roy on the realism scale -- two other movies I loved. It has a definite fairy-tale feel to it... but for those like me who love fairy tales, that actually makes it more appealing.Dafydd ab Hugh
lilypumpernickel This was buried away on channel 4 at 2.00 a.m. one morning and I taped it out of passing interest, only to be mesmerised when I watched it a few days later. So much so that I had to watch it all the way through without even a break for a cup of tea. It's easy to say, in hindsight, that the storyline is predictable, but I didn't find that at the time and, believe me, you can't see the twists coming when you watch it. In fact the film builds great moments of tension.The sword fight scenes, which I would normally fast forward, were really intense and believable. This is good old fashioned story telling with glorious scenery and the requisite number of nail biting moments.