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The Scarlet Pimpernel [DVD]
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Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
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Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
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- Ship it!
Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
DVD
April 10, 2007 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
—
| $8.76 | $8.70 |
DVD
April 30, 2013 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
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| $50.99 | $24.01 |
DVD
June 22, 2010 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
—
| — | $8.24 |
Watch Instantly with | Rent | Buy |
Purchase options and add-ons
Genre | Romance |
Format | DVD, Color, Full Screen |
Contributor | James Villiers, Jane Seymour, Malcolm Jamieson, Richard Morant, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, Eleanor David, Julian Fellowes, Ian McKellen, Ann Firbank, Clive Donner, Denis Lill, Timothy Carlton, William Bast, Anthony Andrews, David Gant See more |
Language | English |
Runtime | 2 hours and 22 minutes |
Frequently bought together
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Product Description
The swashbuckling classic comes to rip-roaring life in this lavish production, filled with breathless romance and derring-do! In the eyes of high society, Sir Percy Blakeney (Brideshead Revisited's Anthony Andrews) is a typical fop, surrounded by adoring ladies and clueless gentry. However, he is also a master of disguise and bears an infamous secret identity: the Scarlet Pimpernel, dashing and fearless rescuer of victims of the French Revolution! Sir Percy also falls head over heels for the beautiful Marguerite (Somewhere in Time's Jane Seymour), who is also wooed by the villainous Paul Chauvelin (The Lord of the Rings' Sir Ian McKellan), Robespierre's Chief Agent for the Committee of National Security. Suave, stylish, and utterly irresistible, this dazzling adventure is sure to capture your heart!
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.75 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
- Director : Clive Donner
- Media Format : DVD, Color, Full Screen
- Run time : 2 hours and 22 minutes
- Actors : Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, Ian McKellen, James Villiers, Eleanor David
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 1.0), Unqualified
- Studio : PDX
- ASIN : B00016XNQQ
- Writers : Baroness Emmuska Orczy, William Bast
- Best Sellers Rank: #51,110 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #2,073 in Romance (Movies & TV)
- #2,572 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)
- #5,076 in Action & Adventure DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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Top reviews from the United States
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Not sure why anyone wants to hear this in Franch though.
CONTENT ISSUES:
Well, honestly, there isn't much to worry about. The only three things worth noting are 1. The very tame and rare use of expletives. 2. The lower-neckline dresses (but it's period wear...you can't do much about that). 3. And that Armand is seen in the same bed twice with his love interest. No they aren't "doing it" on screen...but they do share the same bed.
*Absolutely no plot spoilers*
THE STORY:
For me, I typically have high expectations for any adaptation of this tale. You see, on the surface, it is a swashbuckling adventure of espionage. But in reality the tale is a much deeper and personal one. It centers largely around the troubled marriage of Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite...and how that influences the Scarlet Pimpernel. It really is a tale about trust and the "what happens after the honeymoon phase" where the real marriage either blossoms or collapses. The tale itself is not just a hope that both the rich and common are capable of good, but that marriage and love is worth the struggle...and can become stronger because of it. The multi-layerd themes of this tale is precisely what makes this one of my utmost favorite pieces of literature. And this movie itself captures these themes rather well.
THE MOVIE:
This adaptation is, in fact, a merging of the first two books from Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel series, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "El Dorado"...and they do it brilliantly and smoothly. Amazing that it wasn't merged as such before since the first book leads into the second so well.
COMPARED TO THE BOOK...
With films, it's expected that some expansion should occur...and this is no exception. What is impressive, though, is that these are quite welcome expansions
-Percy & Marguerite-
As fun as the political intrigue, witty banter, and espionage is, these pale in comparison to the drama that surrounds its central theme of the struggle of marriage and trust. The original first book touches on it well, but only merely alludes to Percy and Marguerite's courtship. We don't really get to see the "before" all too much. This film, however, makes it a point to emphasize their courtship period (45 minutes) since this will play, emotionally, into the conflict later on.
-Chauvelin & Marguerite-
This is one of the few points of absolute liberty the film takes. In the books, these two are no more than old friends (prior to the schism), but here, they are portrayed as former lovers who, at one point, shared the same dream but ended up walking different paths towards it. This plays really well into fleshing out Chauvelin and Marguerite's character and showing even more so their stark differences.
Other liberties:
The film also takes other liberties such as swapping around the order of some scenes or outright moving the events of a scene in the book to another area (such as Marguerite's and Percy's heart to heart happens at the party instead of in the intimacies of their own home). That said, though some things I would have preferred to stay the same, these differences still prove advantageous for the purposes of the film and keep to the spirit of the book and characters. Changes exist, but this is very much still "The Scarlet Pimpernel".
THE ONLY ISSUES I HAD WITH THE FILM:
Many books tend to center around the main proclaimed hero of the book. Not so here. The original first book is a tale largely told from Lady Marguerite's perspective and that added a unique dynamic in seeing events unfold with "half-knowledge" (you saw things as she experienced and understood it...which were not always the full truth). I didn't mind that the movie did not revolve around Marguerite as much...but I think it missed a great opportunity in amplifying her "realization" moment. They glazed over it a bit. They also bypassed a lot of the heroic pursuit she did in following the Scarlet Pimpernel to Paris. It wasn't a total loss though as it still worked with the film, but it would have been a nice touch. Still the fact that they blended two books seamlessly together AND greatly expanded on background info does make this drawback understandable (and they did it right with going a a full 2 hours and 20 minutes to tie it together properly). It is worth noting that on these particular aspects the 1934 film does surpass this 1982 adaptation.
All in all:
This is truly a beautiful film that has a very well developed and heartwarming romance, tons of swashbuckling excitement, believable and relatable characters. It is a beautiful display of the strength of love that lasts.
This movie is pretty darn fabulous, in every sense of the word. While it doesn't directly follow the plot of the Baroness D'Orczy's novel, and the historical inaccuracies are fairly hilarious for anyone with a working knowledge of the French Revolution, it all ceases to matter the minute Anthony Andrews, in his role as the foppish Sir Percy, begins to recite his very own poem, enitled The Scarlet Pimpernel. I could listen to him for hours. The sheer contrast between the dashing Pimpernel and the limp-wristed Sir Percival is more pronounced than that between Batman and Bruce, and more believable than that between Superman and Clark Kent (Percy wears lace; the Pimpernel does not).
Okay, so it's really silly. But that's okay. It's supposed to be silly. Silly, and daring, and romantic, and full of escapades, romps, and misunderstandings. Jane Seymour is brilliant as the beautiful and clever Marguerite. Ian McKellan cuts a dastardly figure as the evil Chauvelin. And the whole movie is directed with a good-natured eye for humor that makes even its flaws forgivable.
In conclusion, don't watch this if you want to learn about the French Revolution. Watch it if you need a laugh, a few gasps, and a happy ending. Grab a blanket, some popcorn, and a friend, then sit down and prepare to buckle your swash.
Top reviews from other countries
In our present world, with a constant war of the sexes and hateful opinions over anything and everything, where the cynical and the angry battle-mentality is winning over belief in something beautiful and ignoring a forgiving attitude of unity over our differences of opinion, the film, if it could speak, asks you to let go like few films can and remember the beauty of a fairy tale and romance, with the belief in the good (and noble, pun intended) we are all forgetting. It makes you long for the good and simple like few films can (Zhang Yimou’s ’The Road Home’ also comes to mind here). This is a film where we can believe in the humanity of the open heart in each other instead of fleeting superficial escapism, or perceived or sometimes imagined hostile social or behaivioural structures that keeps us cynical or suspicious of anything resembling real love and loyalty nowadays.
The story of a the english aristocrat that saves nobles during the bloodiest part of the french revolution is thus a mesmerising feat of cinematic magic not made for the cynical at heart. I’ll not give any real spoilers rather than to say if you are a fan of romance and adventure, you are in for a treat.
Nominated for three academy awards, this is not just a love story - there is adventure, humour, excitement, brilliant dialogue and drama. The script is superb - and comes together with a high-paced story that scene after scene sparkles With hope and deep emotional impact, while always entertaining with rich characterisation and builds towards the sensationally realised end. The music score is perfect, both riveting and romantic - probably one of the most spot on scores ever written. The production design and costumes are as good as it comes. Then there are the performances: Anthony Andrews is perfect as the Scarlet Pimpernel, playing the fop in public, and being the strong, passionate hero behind his facade. Jane Seymour is equally superb as his love interest, playing a french actress that is forced to take action under pressure, and their chemistry and the tragedy that affects them is one rarely matched in any modern film, if ever. Then there is Ian McKellen, playing Chauvelin so brilliantly that you will be moved by his suffering despite rooting for him to fail, a man who is assigned by revolutionary leader Robspierre to catch the Scarlet Pimpernel. The rest of the cast is equally colourful and superb - and does an incredible job at creating belief in the times and attitude -, with a possible exception of Robspierre, who at a moment laughs with a bit too much evil.
All in all, this is a film to introduce to the young as well as the old, as it holds on to human values and nobility (in the good human sense), something the world certainly needs more of.
A moving, mesmerising story with two leads to die for, targeted as much for men as for women.
One of the best films ever made, certainly in its genre.
But please, if you like this, please mail and express your interest at getting this restored, preferably even to 16:9 - and have it fully restored and remastered. I can’t imagine how stunning it would look.