Start the Revolution Without Me

Last updated
Start the Revolution Without Me
Start the revolution without me.jpg
Promotional poster for the film
Directed by Bud Yorkin
Written byLawrence J. Cohen
Fred Freeman
Produced byBud Yorkin
Starring Gene Wilder
Donald Sutherland
Hugh Griffith
Jack MacGowran
Billie Whitelaw
Orson Welles
Victor Spinetti
Ewa Aulin
Cinematography Jean Tournier
Edited by Ferris Webster
Music by John Addison
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Release date
  • February 4, 1970 (1970-02-04)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Start the Revolution Without Me is a 1970 British-French-American period comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin, and starring Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Orson Welles (playing himself as narrator) and Victor Spinetti. The film is set in revolutionary France where two peasants are mistaken for the famous Corsican Brothers. The film is considered a parody of a number of works of historical fiction about the French Revolution and French history in general, including A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens and two works by Alexandre Dumas, The Corsican Brothers (1844) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1847).

Contents

Plot

Two sets of identical twins are accidentally switched at birth. One pair, Phillipe and Pierre DeSisi, are aristocratic and haughty, while the other, Charles and Claude Coupé, are poor and dim-witted. On the eve of the French Revolution, both sets find themselves entangled in palace intrigue.

Cast

Reception

Vincent Canby of The New York Times panned the film, writing: "The performances are desperate, without being in any way memorable, thus matching the wit of the screenplay." [1]

Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called the film "disappointing," finding that "[t]he final mix never jells, despite some occasional, and genuine, hilarity ... There is a sluggishness and heaviness to some of the direction when the script is in good shape; and when the direction has lightness and zest, the script is in a slump." [2]

Gene Siskel gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and declared it "a terribly funny parody of the over-stuffed 18th century costume dramas that crowd the vaults of many a major studio." [3]

Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times praised the film as "an absolutely georgeous piece of costume kookery, a dazzling and sustained farce which is also a mad, affectionate tribute to every epee epic, every sabre-and-sex, bodice-and-bodkin historical melodrama anybody ever saw." [4]

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that the film "is not without some oafish and wrong-headed touches, but on the whole it's a witty and engaging picture, an affectionate and competent revival of traditional farce." [5]

Richard Combs of The Monthly Film Bulletin thought that Sutherland and Wilder "carry off an assortment of roles in lively fashion," but "the pacing of the film as a whole is unpleasantly jarring." [6]

Awards

The film's screenwriters Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen were nominated for a WGA award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen in 1971.

Billie Whitelaw and Hugh Griffith as the king and queen of France Billie Whitelaw & Hugh Griffith (1970).jpg
Billie Whitelaw and Hugh Griffith as the king and queen of France

Related Research Articles

<i>Lady Sings the Blues</i> (film) 1972 film by Sidney J. Furie

Lady Sings the Blues is a 1972 American biographical musical drama film directed by Sidney J. Furie about jazz singer Billie Holiday, loosely based on her 1956 autobiography which, in turn, took its title from Holiday's song. It was produced by Motown Productions for Paramount Pictures. Diana Ross, in her feature film debut, portrayed Holiday, alongside a cast including Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan, and Scatman Crothers. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1973, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Diana Ross.

<i>The Gambler</i> (1974 film) 1974 film

The Gambler is a 1974 American crime drama film written by James Toback and directed by Karel Reisz. It stars James Caan, Paul Sorvino, and Lauren Hutton. Caan's performance was widely lauded and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Whitelaw</span> English actress (1932–2014)

Billie Honor Whitelaw was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was also known for her portrayal of Mrs. Baylock, the demonic nanny in the 1976 horror film The Omen.

<i>Stroszek</i> 1977 film by Werner Herzog

Stroszek is a 1977 West German tragicomedy film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno S., Eva Mattes, and Clemens Scheitz. Written specifically for Bruno S., the film was shot in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Most of the lead roles are played by inexperienced actors.

<i>Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?</i> 1971 film by Ulu Grosbard

Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? is a 1971 American comedy drama film directed by Ulu Grosbard and starring Dustin Hoffman.

<i>There Was a Crooked Man...</i> (1970 film) 1970 film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

There Was a Crooked Man... is a 1970 American Western film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda. It was the only western made by Mankiewicz. It was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, their first script after Bonnie and Clyde.

<i>The Twelve Chairs</i> (1970 film) 1970 American comedy film by Mel Brooks

The Twelve Chairs is a 1970 American comedy film directed and written by Mel Brooks, and starring Frank Langella, Ron Moody and Dom DeLuise. The film is one of at least eighteen film adaptations of the Soviet 1928 novel The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov.

<i>The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother</i> 1975 film by Gene Wilder

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a 1975 American musical comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear, and Leo McKern. The film was Wilder's directorial debut, from his own original script.

<i>Bank Shot</i> 1974 film by Gower Champion

Bank Shot is a 1974 heist film directed by Gower Champion and written by Wendell Mayes. It was loosely based upon Donald E. Westlake's 1972 novel of the same name, which was the second book of his "Dortmunder" series. The film stars George C. Scott, Joanna Cassidy, Sorrell Booke, and G. Wood.

<i>S*P*Y*S</i> 1974 film by Irvin Kershner

S*P*Y*S is a 1974 American spy comedy film directed by Irvin Kershner, and starring Elliott Gould, Donald Sutherland and Zouzou. It was screened at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, but it was not entered into the main competition.

<i>The Iceman Cometh</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by John Frankenheimer

The Iceman Cometh is a 1973 American drama film directed by John Frankenheimer. The screenplay, written by Thomas Quinn Curtiss, is based on Eugene O'Neill's 1946 play of the same name. The film was produced by Ely Landau for the American Film Theatre, which from 1973 to 1975 presented thirteen film adaptations of noted plays.

<i>Get to Know Your Rabbit</i> 1972 film by Brian De Palma

Get to Know Your Rabbit is a 1972 American comedy film written by Jordan Crittenden and directed by Brian De Palma.

<i>Terror in the Aisles</i> 1984 film by Andrew J. Kuehn

Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 American documentary film about horror films, including slasher films and crime thrillers. The film is directed by Andrew J. Kuehn, and hosted by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. The original music score is composed by John Beal.

<i>Staircase</i> (film) 1969 British film by Stanley Donen

Staircase is a 1969 British comedy-drama film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. The screenplay was by Charles Dyer, adapted from his 1966 play of the same name.

<i>Childs Play</i> (1972 film) 1972 film by Sidney Lumet

Child's Play is a 1972 American drama-mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars James Mason, Robert Preston and Beau Bridges. The screenplay by Leon Prochnik is based on the 1970 play of the same title by Robert Marasco.

<i>The Corsican Brothers</i> Novella by Alexandre Dumas

The Corsican Brothers is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, although separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It has been adapted many times on the stage and in film.

<i>Streamers</i> (film) 1983 film directed by Robert Altman

Streamers is a 1983 American film adapted by David Rabe from his play of the same name. The film was directed by Robert Altman and produced by Robert Michael Geisler and John Roberdeau, who later produced The Thin Red Line. The cast includes David Alan Grier as Roger, Mitchell Lichtenstein as Richie, Matthew Modine as Billy, Michael Wright as Carlyle, George Dzundza as Cokes, and Guy Boyd as Rooney.

<i>I Love My Wife</i> (film) 1970 film by Mel Stuart

I Love My Wife, stylized as I Love My...Wife, is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Mel Stuart. It stars Elliott Gould and Brenda Vaccaro.

<i>The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</i> (film) 1976 film by Herbert Ross

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is a 1976 Oscar-nominated British-American mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Nicholas Meyer. It is based on Meyer's 1974 novel of the same name and stars Nicol Williamson, Robert Duvall, Alan Arkin, and Laurence Olivier.

<i>Rich Kids</i> (film) 1979 American film by Robert M. Young

Rich Kids is a 1979 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert M. Young and starring Trini Alvarado and Jeremy Levy. It was nominated for two Young Artist Awards at the 1st Youth in Film Awards, held in 1979.

References

  1. ↑ Canby, Vincent (February 5, 1970). "'Start the Revolution Without Me' Bows". The New York Times . 31.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Arthur D. (February 4, 1970). "Film Reviews: Start The Revolution Without Me". Variety . 18.
  3. ↑ Siskel, Gene (May 22, 1970). "Start the Revolution Without Me". Chicago Tribune . Section 2, p. 13.
  4. ↑ Champlin, Charles (April 22, 1970). "Inspired Kind of Spoofery in 'Revolution'". Los Angeles Times . Part IV, p. 1.
  5. ↑ Arnold, Gary (July 10, 1970). "Twin Trouble". The Washington Post . B12.
  6. ↑ Combs, Richard (January 1971). "Start the Revolution Without Me". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 38 (444): 14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.