“THE FIFTH BLADE”

Original screenplay by Fabian Charles

- Synopsis -

France, under the reign of Louis XIV. Robert Mondestain, 10 years old, is sold to a child trafficker after the murder of his father. He manages to escape and a ship’s captain takes him on as cabin boy. Chased off the boat by the crew while in Japan, the lad is taken on by a samurai as his disciple. Some 20 years later, having returned to France, at long last he confronts the powerful criminal network, practicing witchcraft and poisoning, that protects his father’s assassin…

- Director’s statement -

"The Fifth blade" is to be a film in the line of "Gladiator" for its epic side and realism. Splendor of the Court of Louis XIV in replacement of the arenas.

A ten-year-old boy, sold as a slave after the murder of his father, escapes and boards a boat bound for parts unknown. Fate brings him to Japan where he's taken on as a disciple by a samurai who'll turn out to be the greatest fencer in history of the country. He returns to France some twenty years later with unequalled talent at swordsmanship. While seeking vengeance, he involuntarily finds himself mixed up in the Affair of the Poisons and its dangerous cast of characters. Along the way, he'll come across the Musketeers of the King, four of whom are already living legends...

Realism is for me fundamental to solidly anchor a work of historical fiction. The story must fuse together with real facts, even if we play a little with the dates to keep the action dynamic.

On the other hand, the sets and especially the costumes cannot strictly adhere to reality, in order to inject into the film that dreamlike aspect which we associate with the splendour and attire of the era. It is above all a piece of entertainment, where splendour must add a little magic and not a film whose excessive darkness leaves one with a bitter taste.

The combats are the cement of the story's realism. Ridiculous somersaults and grotesque triple flip-flaps are to be banished at all costs. The best fencing masters in the two specialities, rapier combat and samurai katana combat, especially those where the two types of blades clash together, must be recruited.

Given the international potential of the story and the world-wide attraction for this era which still fascinates so many people (the success of the series "Versailles" is the proof), the shoot should be carried out in English, as English diction fits in perfectly with the splendours of the nobility. 

As regards the music, the idea is to associate the group "Muse" with the project. Capable of creating classic pieces worthy of the greatest composers of the genre, Muse's majestic music would sublimate the epic side of the film. Moreover, the use of one or two clips with images from the film could make the marketing campaign explosive for the tens of millions of fans awaiting this event.

To conclude, I think that the rarity of this type of project in the international cinematic landscape, associated with the attraction for splendour and the romantic aspect of this era, could be all the more attractive for big name stars.

- Log line -

He was sold as slave after his father was assassinated, escaped from a living hell, was raised by a samurai, and now he’s back!