À l'abordage
Michel Viotte
1997 - 31 min - Vidéo - France

The cinema was not slow to get hold of the myth of pirates which lends itself to so many exotic images and extraordinary adventures. The spectator is not reluctant to give himself up to pleasant but strange surroundings. However, this kind of film is subject to very precise rules. Filming action scenes, stunts, cannonading and grappling demands a whole arsenal of technical means which are indispensable for any cinematographic buccaneer.
The American film-maker Michael Curtiz brought renown to this genre with "Captain Blood" (1935) and "L'Aigle des mers" (1940), while Errol Flynn, after "Robin Hood", increased his popularity in pirate roles. This kind of film reached its zenith in the 1950s with film-makers such as Raoul Walsh, Jacques Tourneur or Frank Borzage.