|
The royal guards are famous for their unimpeachable discipline and straight
faces. This bawdy Victorian comedy plays on those notions as one careless guard
breaks from his duty to kiss a passing girl. When an officer spots the girl
hiding in the guardhouse, he calls her out and kisses her too. This is one of
many early films based around illicit kissing. In these films, lovers were
usually interrupted or punished by an undesired third party. The twist of The
Amorous Guardsman, however, is that this third party has a lecherous intent of
his own.
Despite its charm, this is a prime example of the theatrical staging that
many regard as 'primitive' cinema. The manoeuvring of the three actors within
the limited space is awkward. The officer's movement across the frame - intended
to reveal first his ignorance of the woman and then his spotting her - is
particularly unconvincing.
Christian Hayes
| 
Complete film (0:38)
