“Master
Villon your pen has done more for France than any sword ever could.”
Francois
Villon (John Barrymore) is a poet, pickpocket, ardent lover of French women,
and a loyal patriot to France. His father was a loyal patriot who was burned at
the stake during the first war between France and England. His mother had asked
God that her son would have his father’s heart.
The
small section of Paris where Francois is from are having a parade. They look
all over the town looking for him. Francois and his two friends are out
stealing silver and wine. He is found by some of the people in the parade and
he is crowned King of Fools.
Burgundy
is again trying to invade Paris and take over France. Louis XI is king. He is a
slave to astrology. He is told that if he makes an alliance with Charles, his
Burgundy cousin, France might be saved. He travels with Charles through the
section of Paris that is celebrating Francois’s crowning. Louis knows that
Francois causes trouble with his poetry and his thieving. When Francois makes a
poem insulting Charles the king has the poet banished from the city and if he
steps foot in it he will be arrested and killed. Louis was traveling with his
ward Charlotte when this event occurred.
Louis
has given Charlotte’s hand in marriage to Thibault from Burgundy. She does not
want to marry him she wants to marry for love not to please Charles. She is to
travel back to her hometown to marry Thibault. The night becomes stormy with
snow. Charlotte and the traveling party are forced to take shelter at an inn. At
the same time Francois and his two friends are planning to steal a cart full of
meats and sweats meant for the king from Charles to give to the people. Their
plan works but the men are forced to scatter and run. Francois crashes through
the roof of Charlotte’s room at the inn. He sees that she has a book of his
poems. She saw him dressed as a clown she does not know that he is the author
of her cherished book. At that moment he does not tell her who he is. Thibault
comes into the room. Francois tries to hide but that backfires. He takes
Charlotte away with him which pleases her since she does not want to marry
Thibault. Francois takes Charlotte to his mother’s house to keep her safe.
The
king hears Francois is in Paris. He orders the poet’s arrest. Francois had told
his mother that he was working for the king. His lie backfires when he is
arrested. He is taken to the palace where Louis gives the order for him to die.
Charlotte tries to beg for Francois’s life but the king will not consider it.
To save himself Francois makes up a poem about the king’s death. Since the king
is superstitious he questions what the poet is talking about. Francois tells
the king that his (Louis’s) will be an hour after he (Francois) is hanged. The
king now does not want any harm coming to Francois’s life.
Francois
now lives in the palace and guarded all day and night so that nothing bad will
happen to him. He is bored and has to repeatedly ask for his two friends to
come to see him. Francois looks out a window in his room and sees Charlotte in
the garden. He goes to her but she is not very happy to see him because he lied
to her.
Charlotte
is later kidnapped by Charles. Francois escapes the palace and gathers his
peasant friends to help free Charlotte. He is captured by Charles and tortured
and sentenced to die. Before Charles has Francois killed, the poet gives a
speech about how his father fought the English to save France. He will not let
the Burgundies take over. The king is there in disguise. Just as Francois was
about to be killed Louis reveals himself and says that he is still the king of
France and orders Francois to go free. He has Francois pick the punishment for
Charles. He has Charles judged before his court of fools.
Charlotte
loves Francois but she cannot marry him because she has a title. The only way
she can marry him is if she gives her title up. They both go to Louis and tell
them of their plans. The king is upset to see his friend go
The Beloved Rogue was alright. John
Barrymore’s overacting grated on my nerves after a while. Conrad Veidt made a
really, really creepy King Louis. The story was a bit boring and predictable.
There were definitely some scenes that needed to be trimmed or should not have
been included in the final cut. I will only suggest watching The Beloved Rogue if you are a fan of
John Barrymore.
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