I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The English title reads "the affairs of Madame De Pompadour" but the king's favorite is called in the French/Italian version Madame De Beaudricourt ,a name which is virtually unknown in French history ,and for a good reason;madame De Pompadour never met Mandrin !how could she? However ,in Christian-Jaque's "Fanfan La Tulipe" ,the hero met the king's mistress (and madam).Before the screening of the movie ,a historian warned us: we are far from historical facts.Mandrin (here some kind of Robin Hood who steals from the customers and gives to the poor),efficiently portrayed by Italian Raf Vallone,is smart,defiant,womanizer.Sentenced to death ,he is about to be hanged (I cannot see anyone of your friends coming ,says his enemy Monsieur Verneuil ).He is the leader of a pack whose activities are various .They even attack the diligences -which the real Mandrin never did.Now for the historical facts: Mandrin did not enjoy a sweet retirement in Italy;he was put on the wheel ,an execution I will not depict:suffice to say it makes your hair stand on end.His life was short (although for the time it was not that much) and he was very popular all over the country.Like this? Try these...."Cartouche" Philippe De Broca,1961"Gaspard De Besse" André Hugon,1938