April26
WARNING: – This page contains major spoilers!
From the Producers of Into the West and Nothing Personal comes a fabulous romantic adventure film set against the tumultuous early 1800’s. Our hero is a man of infinite charm and daring though a bit of a rogue, he has an honest heart. His adventures take him from the battle fields of Napoleonic France to the Castles of Scotland and in so doing, he discovers his lost family and finds the woman of his dreams! He is the dashing Captaine Jacques Saint Yves of the Third Hussars, but we shall know him simply as St. Ives…
PARIS 1813 – The Opera
St Ives (Jean Marc Barr) and his trusted companion, Captaine Francois sit spellbound as the strikingly beautiful Mathilde builds towards her operatic climax. St Ives tends to get what he wants and tonight it is Mathilde.
St Ives rushes to Mathilde’s dressing room, but finds that he has been beaten to it by Captaine Couperin of the Paris Guard. As they compete for her affections, St Ives playfully insults Couperin, who over-reacts and insists that he must defend his honour and challenges St Ives to a duel.
As dawn breaks, St Ives, who’s nursing a hang over, doesn’t feel like fighting. Reluctantly, St Ives chooses his pistol. Couperin shoots first. St Ives coolly stands his ground as the bullet flies past his ear. He aims his pistol at the terrified Couperin, but shoots high above his head. Honour has been satisfied, but as St Ives turns to leave, Couperin shoots him in the hand. His reactions getting the better of him, St Ives instinctively turns and shoots, killing Couperin. St Ives curses his luck, there was no need for this.
Recovering his sense of priorities, St Ives rushes to see Mathilde, but it’s not a successful rendezvous. They are continuously interrupted by Couperin’s fellow officers who challenge him to duels for the next day and it’s not long before he has one booked every half an hour! This is too much, even for the heroic St Ives, but honour won’t allow him to refuse. However only officers are allowed to duel, so if he can get himself demoted in rank he can escape this deluge of duels! St Ives cheekily insults a superior officer and is summarily demoted to private and informed that he will be very shortly sent off to fight the English! Mathilde takes pity on him and rewards him appropriately… maybe it was worth it after all!
THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE
Close to the Battlefront St Ives is becoming rather disheartened with his new rank. He devises a plan that will make him a hero and result in his reinstatement. While overlooking a British camp he is slapped on the back by his long-time friend Francois and loses his footing on a cliff edge. St Ives tumbles down the hill and when he finally comes to a muddy stop he finds a forest of British muskets pointing at his head!
SCOTLAND 1813
St Ives is imprisoned in Queensferry Castle, under the charge of Major Chevening (Richard E. Grant), a rather eccentric, but good-natured fellow. Chevening invites Miss Gilchrist (Miranda Richardson), a very attractive woman and her beautiful 20 year old niece, Flora (Anna Friel), to an open day at the Castle. Flora catches the eye of St Ives and sparks fly between them. He dazzles her with his manners and offers her a gift to remember him by. It’s a carving of his family Coat of Arms.
Flora sits at a tree dreaming of her encounter when her concentration is broken by an approaching carriage. Flora is amazed to see the Coat of Arms on the carriage door – it is the same as St Ives’ carving. She hurriedly follows the coach to the gates of a large house which bear the same crest. She secretly makes her way into the house where she meets a frail old man – the Count of St Ives (Michael Gough). Flora explains why she has come and shows the Count the carving. He is stunned by what he hears, because St Ives’ brother, Alain, had told him that Jacques had been executed with his parents many years ago. He is desperate to see the man that Flora talks of, but he is too weak to make the trip. St Ives must come to him.
Flora visits the imprisoned St Ives and tells him of her discovery. St Ives immediately plans his escape and he succeeds with his usual panache. Hurriedly, he makes his way to his grandfather and their meeting is an emotional one as St Ives reveals his family history. The Count assembles his entire household and proclaims Jacques as his new sole heir, while at the same time disinheriting Alain. Alain is furious and accuses St Ives of being a thief and an impostor. St Ives is thrilled to see his long lost brother but stunned by the ferocity of Alain’s rejection of him. Alain goes to shoot St Ives, but the old man makes a desperate lunge for Alain and the distraction is enough to allow St Ives to grab the pistol. A ferocious sword fight ensues between the two, but St Ives is the stronger and he disarms Alain. He has him at his mercy, but can’t bring himself to kill his only brother. Instead St Ives flees. Alain takes his anger out on the Count, delivering a fatal blow to the old man, leaving him to die.
St Ives is on the run again and there is only one person he can turn to… Flora. He makes his way to her home at Swanston. She is overjoyed to see him and smuggles him into the house. Miss Gilchrist is not so happy when she discovers him, but makes a bargain with St Ives that will allow him to stay the night before leaving forever.
Meanwhile, Chevening has looked everywhere for his escaped prisoner and there is only one place left to search… Swanston! His unexpected arrival invokes panic in Flora and St Ives, but Miss Gilchrist becomes the hero of the hour, using all her powers of female persuasion to distract Chevening from his task. Poor Chevening doesn’t know where to look and responds to her lusty demands by making a hasty exit!
St Ives keeps to his part of the bargain and leaves with the promise never to see Flora again. Flora is distraught, but it’s not long before desire gets the better of him and St Ives bluffs his way in to a masked ball that Flora is attending. It is a wonderful occasion. Glamorous carriages bring a constant stream of masked revellers. On the main lawn, illuminated by great torches, is a hot air balloon surrounded by placards announcing, “The World’s First Nocturnal Flight.”
Flora and St Ives are in heaven as they dance together, but their happiness is shattered by the arrival of Alain Saint Ives announced as The Count. St Ives can’t contain his fury realising Alain must have killed their grandfather. The brothers duel once more. St Ives overpowers him, but this time Alain has the assistance of Chevening and his soldiers. St Ives makes a dash for it and sprints towards the balloon, slashing the mooring rope as he dives into the basket. Chevening grabs the rope, but the balloon rises rapidly taking a desperate Chevening up with it. St Ives pulls Chevening up into the basket as they speed off into the night sky!
The balloon finally lands on a beach. Chevening is convinced they are in England but has to run for it when they are approached by French Cavalry. St Ives rejoining his regiment finds a wounded Francois is being treated by the beautiful Mathilde, the former opera star turned nurse. The wound is a serious one, but Mathilde has accepted Francois’ proposal of marriage.
When Flora and Miss Gilchrist hear of their loved ones’ whereabouts they immediately leave for France. They are followed by Alain who kidnaps them and uses a terrified Flora as bait to catch his brother. The plan succeeds. Flora tries to warn St Ives, but it is too late. Alain appears from nowhere and rushes at St Ives running him through with his sword. St Ives is seriously wounded and can’t defend himself. He tries to reason with Alain, but it’s no use. Alain prepares to strike the fatal blow when he is suddenly struck from behind by Flora. Alain turns to Flora and goes to strike her down. Alain freezes. St Ives has run him through from behind. St Ives holds his brother as he dies and weeps bitterly. Once again, he has lost his family.
St Ives recovers from his wounds and the war comes to an end. They return to Scotland as St Ives is to marry Flora. They do so, as do Miss Gilchrist and Major Chevening in the beautiful chapel on the grounds of St Ives’ Estate. As they emerge from the service, Flora suddenly breaks into a run and sprints through the stunning grounds towards the house, shedding various articles of clothing as she goes. On entering the bedroom, she leaps on to the huge four poster bed and turns to look at St Ives who now stands at the doorway. St Ives turns, smiles and closes the doors on us. The doors are emblazoned with the St Ives crest and its motto:
“AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT!” [“Fortune Favours the Daring!”]
St. Ives is a thrilling and witty romantic adventure in the finest tradition. St Ives is a hero to cheer for and laugh with – a man of honour, courage and a big smile!
Cast:
Jean Marc Barr – St Ives (Hope and Glory, The Big Blue, Europa)
Anna Friel – Flora (Brookside, The Tribe, Land Girls)
Miranda Richardson – Miss Ghilcrest (Dance With A Stranger, Empire Of The Sun, Enchanted April, The Crying Game, Damage, Tom And Viv, Kansas City, The Evening Star)
Richard E Grant – Major Chevening (Withnail And I, LA Story, The Player, Dracula, The Age Of Innocence, Pret A Porter, Jack And Sarah, Twelfth Night)
Michael Gough – Count St Ives (Out Of Africa, Batman, The Age Of Innocence).
Directed by Harry Hook (The Kitchen Toto, Lord of the Flies)
Produced by Jonathan Cavendish (Into The West, A Man of No Importance, Nothing Personal)
The REG Temple is the official website for actor, author and director Richard E. Grant.
