Adventures based on Baroness Orczy's famous novels about wealthy Chamaleon aristocrat who is not the fool he seems and confounds the French revolutionaries ; indeed , he masquerades as the daring adventurer , the soldier of fortune and rescuer of those persecuted by the French Revolution and the guillotines . Exciting exploits set on the Reign of Terror with Sir Percy Blackeney against a sinister Chauvelin , while the French Republicans seek him , there and everywhere . This is one of the innumerable versions of the much-filmed adventure classic with the immortal hero named Scarlet pimpernel ( Anthony Andrews), and again the English aristocrat engaged in the underground effort to snatch out from under the blade of the guillotine Frenchmen caught in the Reign of Terror ( 1792 ) . This time the terrible Committee of Public Safety assigns to Chauvelin the mission to track down Pimpernel in England . As Chauvelin ( ideal baddie cast Ian McKellen ) travels towards England where resides Percy and his wife ( Jane Seymour ) who was once involved with Chauvelin . The astute Chauvelin attempts to discover the rogue's identity and involve Percy's French wife Marguerite in his scheme , furthermore is plotting to win back his previous love . Pimpernel returns to Paris and then Sir Percy hides his activities under various guises . Pimpernel and wife head to France to save the son of the king from the clutches of Saint Just . Then Scarlet gets trapped , so quite a lot of rescuing needs to be freed . His ruse may throw off the French authorities but the elusive Pimpernel is also attempting to free his wife , though he is suddenly caught by Chauvelin.
Anthony Andrews plays it to perfection , fitting the role like elegant glove , he does a dashing hero leading several characters and posing as an officer , pauper old woman or revolutionary . Andrews match up efficiently to the popular conception of the Pimpernel who remains the archetypal acting , catching exactly the false foppishness as well as the mythical qualities which make the personage seem so invincible .In the film appears historical characters as Saint Just , Fouche and Robespierre and is developed an intrigue about the little boy prince Louis XVII , guillotined king Louis XVI's son . This lavish production results to be a good TV adaptation with spectacular production design , 18th Century costumes , intrigue , damsels in disgrace , nice scenarios and the impressive sets , too , are superb . Stellar cast plenty of known actors with Jane Seymour ,Ian McKellen and James Villiers. This is almost as good as the classic rendition and being stunningly directed by Clive Donner .
Other versions about the supposed dandy of the English court who assumes the identity of foppish Sir Percy in order to outwit the French republicans and aid innocent aristocrats and based on classic novels by Baroness Orczy are the following : First and the best swashbuckling vintage (1939) produced by London Films and directed by Harold Young with Leslie Howard and Leslie Caron ; The Elusive Pimpernel (1950) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger with David Niven , Cryl Cusack and Margaret Leighton and TV series( 1999 ) by Patrick Lau with Richard E Grant and Elizabeth McGovern and another series (1955) starred by Marius Goring as Sir Percy , the Scarlet Pimpernel .
