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Amorous Guardsman, The (1898)
 

BFI

Main image of Amorous Guardsman, The (1898)
 
35mm, black and white, silent, 68 feet
 
Production CompanyBritish Mutoscope and Biograph Company

A member of the Queen's Guards falls for the charms of a young woman.

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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

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Video Clips
Complete film (0:38)
GALLERY / SCRIPTS / AUDIO
SEE ALSO
Kiss in the Tunnel, The (Bamforth) (1899)
Kiss in the Tunnel, The (Smith) (1899)