A farce of mistaken identity set during the French Revolution, centered on two sets of identical twins.
Two sets of twins, switched at birth, find their lives intersecting on the eve of revolution. Aristocrats Charles (Donald Sutherland) and Claude (Gene Wilder) are arrogant and skilled swordsmen. Their peasant counterparts, Pierre (Donald Sutherland) and Philippe (Gene Wilder), are simpletons who become inadvertently entangled with revolutionary forces. A storm of confusion ensues as the pairs are repeatedly mistaken for each other, leading to chaotic encounters with figures like King Louis (Hugh Griffith) and Queen Marie (Billie Whitelie). The escalating mistaken identities culminate in a frantic costume ball where loyalties and allegiances are hilariously tested.
This film is a broad send-up of historical swashbucklers, particularly the lavish costume adventures of classic Hollywood. Its comedic engine is the high-concept premise of mismatched twins, allowing Donald Sutherland and Gene Wilder to play dual roles as both swaggering aristocrats and bewildered peasants. The script delights in piling absurdity upon absurdity, using the backdrop of the French Revolution for a series of farcical set-pieces. The picture is also notable for the involvement of co-executive producers Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear, who would transition from this historical satire to reshape American television comedy the following year with the groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family.
Production Co: Warner Bros. / 90 mins / 1970
Director: Bud Yorkin
Screenplay: Lawrence J. Cohen, Fred Freeman
Main Cast: Donald Sutherland (Charles / Pierre), Gene Wilder (Claude / Philippe), Hugh Griffith (King Louis), Billie Whitelie (Queen Marie), Victor Spinetti (Duke d’Escargot), Jack MacGowran (Jacques), Orson Welles (The Narrator)
