Scarlet Pimpernel, The (A&E) (1998) Rating: Starring: Richard E. Grant, Elizabeth McGovern Director: Edward Bennett, Patrick Lau Category: Drama Studio: A&E Subtitles: English Length: 294 mins     A&E's lavish adaptation of the swashbuckling adventure stories, based on the books by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, bring passion and intrigue into the sweeping world of the dashing Scarlet Pimpernel. Book 1:France, 1792.It is the height of the French Revolution.The country is gripped by revolutionary fever and the evil Head of Secret Police, Chauvelin, keeps the guillotines busy executing innocent peasants, aristocrats and priests.Only the mysterious stranger known as The Scarlet Pimpernel constantly foils Chauvelin's plans with his heroic missions to save innocent lives. The beloved tale of passion and double lives, adventure and action come to life in this lavish adaptation from A&E and the BBC.Richard E. Grant (Ready To Wear, LA Story) stars as Percy Blakeney, foppish British aristocrat by day, by night the infamous Scarlet Pimpernel who risks his life saving innocents from beheading.The dashing hero becomes caught in a sinister web of intrigue of his own when Chavelin tries to enlist his former lover Blakeney's wife, Lady Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern of The Wings of the Dove), to help him catch the elusive Pimpernel! Angered by Marquerite's refusal, Chauvelin arrests not only her but Blakeney as well, and the two are thrown into the same jail.Things look bleak, but walls cannot hold The Scarlet Pimpernel. Book 2 - Mademoiselle Guillotine:It is the height of the French Revolution's reign of terror, and British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Richard E. Grant) continues his daring rescues of unjustly persecuted French citizens -- as the dashing masked stranger known to all as The Scarlet Pimpernel. The Marquis de Rochambeau and his daughter, the beautiful young Helene, have been forced to flee the ruthless Gabrielle Damiens -- otherwise known as Mademoiselle Guillotine.The Marquis begs Blakeney and his wife, the Lady Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern), for help in rescuing young Helen.It should be an easy job for the talented Pimpernel -- but his old nemesis, Chauvelin, has been enlisted by the government to findthe girl as well! The race is on as Chauvelin and Mademoiselle Guillotine weave a web of lies and deceit -- a web that only The Scarlet Pimpernel can untangle. Book 3 - The Kidnapped King:In the outskirts of Paris, Louis Capet (the Dauphin), heir to the French throne and orphan of the ancient regime, is being indoctrinated into Republican sensibilities.When he is kidnapped by a masked intruder, once again, the only hope for the French aristocracy is another masked man, The Scarlet Pimpernel. To save Dauphin, the Pimpernel's alter-ego, British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Richard E. Grant) and his wife Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern) stage a public break-up, allowing her to get close to Robespierre and the Republic's authorities.But how to find the boy?And who took him and why?Marguerite must regain the confidence of Chauvelin, her adversary and former lover, to help the Pimpernel unravel this mystery. Their subterfuges lead to danger and intrigue in a tale of secret identities where no one is who they appear to be.