Under the Red Robe

Swashbucker Gil De Berault is bound for the guillotine when he is given one last chance for a pardon.

80 Mins
1937
en

star6.0/ 10

In 1620s France, dreaded swordsman Gil de Berault returns from carrying out a mission for Cardinal Richelieu, and finds the Cardinal worried about growing opposition from the Huguenots in the south. The Cardinal also warns de Berault that dueling has been outlawed, and will henceforth be punishable by death. Gil, however, promptly disobeys the law and is indeed sentenced to death. The Cardinal offers to cancel the sentence if de Berault is able to capture the duke who is organizing plans for an uprising. Gil travels to the duke's castle and is allowed to stay as a guest, but the duke's wife and sister immediately suspect that he is a spy. He and his servant still make good progress, until he falls in love with the duke's sister, which complicates everything.

Review

CinemaSerf

Raymond Massey always was good at playing a baddie, and here his depiction of Cardinal de Richelieu, the de facto ruler of France during the reign of Louis XIII, is effective. He is determined to put down the Huguenot (protestant) folks in his country and so rescues one of his erstwhile employees of dubious repute - "Gil de Berault" (Conrad Veidt) from the gallows, on the condition that he travel south and apprehend the leader of this unruly band of miscreants - the "Duc de Foix" (Wyndham Goldie). Finding his prey is not especially difficult, but when he arrives at their chateau and falls hook, line and sinker for his sister "Marguerite" (Annabella) then his task becomes much harder - and as both she and the Duchesse (Sophie Stewart) begin to suspect that he is, indeed, a spy - much more perilous, too. I enjoyed this, it's got a sort of "Three Musketeers" feel to it, plenty of action and Veidt is quite engaging as his predicament worsens. The ending is a bit on the weak side, but it is still well worth 80 minutes of anyone's time.