THE LADY & THE HIGHWAYMAN

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: mild innuendo

Rated:

A production filmed in the late eighties is The Lady & the Highwayman, a costume drama set during the turbulent 16th century in England. Beautiful costuming and some impressive acting from the young ladies involved in give this film noteworthy attention, but in many other respects the studio has missed the bandwagon with a poor DVD release, the quality of which seems like a bad taped-off-TV version rather than a remastered production. It's a very cheap purchase, and yet has a good enough storyline to tempt serious collectors.

England lies in turmoil after the death of the reining sovereign and King Charles II seeks to take claim upon the throne with the assistance of his most trusted men, including dashing young Lucius Vyne (Hugh Grant). Entrusted to his care is his beautiful cousin Panthea (Lysette Anthony), an heiress who would do anything for king and country. A devious official of the crown has sought her hand in marriage, but it has been refused. Gaining information of her brother's imprisonment and planned execution, he offers Panthea an exchange -- the release forms for her brother, if she will become his wife. Unwilling to see her brother hanged, the innocent girl agrees. But after the marriage ceremony, her husband proves to be brutal and cruel -- first killing her beloved pet dog, and then trying to take advantage of her in the coach.

Then the notorious highwayman Silver Blade rides to her rescue. The masked nobleman duels with her husband, resulting in the wealthy man's death, and carries Panthea to safety. Awed by his bravery and compassion, the girl longs to know the identity of her savior. Her marriage never comes to light, as the carriage-men are sworn to secrecy, and ten years later finds her the crowning jewel of the king's court. Her beauty has earned the respect of many throughout the realm but proves a threat to the king's mistress, Lady Castlemaine (Emma Samms), who fears her influence will be undermined by the girl's innocence. Together she schemes with Panthea's cousin Rudolph to bring both Lucius and Panthea to ruin.

Shabby release not withstanding, once you get into The Lady & the Highwayman it proves a pleasurable watch. While it's true that the script is not particularly noteworthy and has "Harlequin Romance" written all over it, there's a sweetness to the main characters and an excitement to the action scenes. Duels, daring escapes, and narrow scrapes with death pepper the dialogue, which also contains some romantic passages. I did feel in some respects the storyline failed; the ending seemed too swift in coming, and I would have appreciated a little more realism in the final battle, but overall there isn't much to complain about. I particularly liked the acting efforts from the ladies involved. Emma Samms was both beautiful and treacherous, and Lysette Anthony as Panthea has a sweetness and open sincerity I've not seen in other actresses. The men somewhat pale in retrospect. Hugh Grant is never particularly noteworthy but does get in some good lines.

Though the production isn't rated, I would consider it a PG equivalent. Any sexual content is limited to dialogue, and the violence fails to be overly graphic. There are sword duels and a man apparently beats a small dog to death (unseen). A handful of mild profanities pepper the script, along with some sly flirtation and subtle references which lean towards sexual banter. The king shows an interest in Panthea but it never progresses beyond flirtation; he teases her with the offering of allowing her to "sit on his bed and gossip for hours." Lady Castlemaine often speaks of her lovers (having "exhausting their secrets") and propositions a man in prison with the offer of his freedom if he will become her lover. (It's proposed in more muted terms, but she does remark on his "needing a real woman," as well as how proficient she is in the art if "pleasing a man.") Not ungraciously, he refuses. In the early stages of the film Panthea's cruel husband tries to unlace the bodice of her gown. They struggle with one another in the carriage before Silver Blade comes to her rescue.

In many respects, The Lady & the Highwayman reminded me of The Scarlet Pimpernel merely for its narrow escapes and daring adventures. But there's also a hint of Zorro and Robin Hood thrown into the mix. It's also a pity that the quality is so poor, for in its original state I'm sure it was a very beautiful production to look at. A little more time and energy spent on this disk could have turned out a beautiful period production from an era in which even VHS tapes turn out remarkable quality. But when the studio doesn't regard it as anything more than "TV fare," how is the audience to differ?