bbbParis,1315.TheTourdeNesle,aguardtoweronthebanksoftheSeine,hasbecomeasymbolofmysteryandfear.Eachmorning,atitsbase,thebodiesofhandsomeyoungaristocratsarefoundfloatingintheriver,allbutcheredbyswordorarrow.Oneevening,twonoblemen,BuridanandPhilipped'Aulnay,findthemselvesintheinfamoustower,luredthereontheexpectationofanightofunbridledpassion.Littledotheyrealisethattheyaretobethenextvictimsofawomanwhoisdeterminedtotakerevengeagainstallmen-MargaretofBurgundy,thepresentQueenofFrance.AlthoughPhilippeiskilled,Buridanescapes,andintendstoblackmailtheQueen.Unlessshemakeshimherprimeminister,hewillexposehercrimestoPhilippe'sbrotherandherhusband,KingLouisX.WhenshemovestoeliminateBurdan,Margaretmakesaterriblediscovery...　　Inthetwilightyearsofhislongandprettyunevencareer,thegreatavant-gardefilmdirectorAbelGancemadeanumberoffilmswhich,whilstnotasgrandandartisticallyinspiredashisearlysilentmasterpieces(LaRoue(1923),Napoléon(1927)),stillcomparedveryfavourablywiththeworkofhiscontemporaries.　　Ofthese,LaTourdeNesleisafilmthatstillstandsupremarkablywelltoday-anambitioushistoricaldramabasedonthefamous1832playbyAlexandreDumas.ItmakesanicecompanionpiecetoGance'ssubsequenthistoricalromp,Cyranoetd'Artagnan(1964).　　　　Needlesstosay,thefilmisn'ttobecommendedonitshistoricalaccuracy.Asanyhistorianwilltellyou,theAlexandreDumasversionofFrenchhistoryiswildlyfanciful,tosaytheleast.However,thisdoesn'tpreventLaTourdeNeslefrombeinganentertainingand,attimes,highlypoignant,pieceofcinema.　　Whilstthecharacterisationanddialogueleavemuchtobedesired,theplot(amurkytaleofcruelrevengeandpoliticalintrigue)isgripping,andthefilm'sartisticdesignisexceptionalforafilmofthisperiod.Gancebringsastrangelyexpressionistictouchtohisuseofcolourandshade,somethingwhichaddstothedarklysinisternatureoftheplot,whilstimbuingthefilmwithastrikingsenseofhistoricalrealism.Apropos,Gance'sassistantdirectorNellyKaplanmakesherscreendébutinasmallrole,shortlybeforesheherselfembarkedonasuccessfulfilmmakingcareer.