On Guard

– The Comte de Gonzague schemes against his cousin, the Duc de Nevers, even though he is the Duke's he..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
7.00 / 10
Duration:
2 Hours and 8 Minutes
Release Year:
1997
Original Name:
Le Bossu
On Guard (1997) - Also known as Le Bossu

The Comte de Gonzague schemes against his cousin, the Duc de Nevers, even though he is the Duke's heir and will inherit his estates. The Count has kept secret the existence of the Duke's bastard, recently born. When the Duke learns of his child, he journeys to wed the mother, a baron's daughter, in her father's isolated chateau. The occupants of the castle are surprised and murdered by the Count and his men. The only ones to escape are the Duke's friend, the skilled swordsman Lagardère, and the infant, a girl, now the rightful heiress to the Duke's vast fortune. The Count believes the pair to have drowned, when in fact they have been concealed by a travelling troupe of Italian players. Twenty years pass. The Count has discovered that the two survive and seeks to have them slain. But Lagardère gains the confidence of the Count, and employment as his bookkeeper, through his clever disguise as a hunch-back...

Story Timeline:
Producing Country:
Filming Locations:
Genre:
Release Date:

20 Mar 1998

Language:

French, Italian

MPAA Content-Rating:
TV-14 – For Age 14 and Above

This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Programs rated TV-14 contains material that parents or adult guardians may find unsuitable for children under the age of 14. The FCC warns that "Parents are cautioned to exercise some care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended." Programs with this rating contain crude humor, drug/alcohol use, inappropriate language, strong violence (may include some amounts of blood and gore), and moderate suggestive themes or dialogue.

Director:

Philippe de Broca

Writer:

Philippe de Broca, Jean Cosmos, Paul Féval (book), Jérôme Tonnerre

Main Actors:

Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, Marie Gillain

Plot:

The Comte de Gonzague schemes against his cousin, the Duc de Nevers, even though he is the Duke's heir and will inherit his estates. The Count has kept secret the existence of the Duke's bastard, recently born. When the Duke learns of his child, he journeys to wed the mother, a baron's daughter, in her father's isolated chateau. The occupants of the castle are surprised and murdered by the Count and his men. The only ones to escape are the Duke's friend, the skilled swordsman Lagardère, and the infant, a girl, now the rightful heiress to the Duke's vast fortune. The Count believes the pair to have drowned, when in fact they have been concealed by a travelling troupe of Italian players. Twenty years pass. The Count has discovered that the two survive and seeks to have them slain. But Lagardère gains the confidence of the Count, and employment as his bookkeeper, through his clever disguise as a hunch-back...

Awards:

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.

Production:

Empire Pictures

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
87%
Metacritic:
69%