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WORD
OF HONOR is about the single-minded pursuit of vengeance.
Employing the conventions of the historical romance, this series takes place
in late 18th-century Alexdonia, a fictional Tyrolean dukedom. To underscore its premise, WORD OF HONOR
incorporates UFA expressionism (e.g., THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGERI, THE BRIDE OF
FRANKENSTEIN) when possible, most particularly deep shadows and sharp contrasts, extremely
stylized and distorted sets, and camera angles that emphasize the fantastic and grotesque.
Eric
Dante is a young physician, alchemist, and amateur scholar living a quiet life in the
Dante’s
life changes forever when he is framed for the assassination of the Grand Duke Zschernya,
the nobleman poisoned after inexplicably stopping at Dante’s cottage while traveling
to the capital. Dante’s cunning allows
him to escape the hangman’s noose, after which he changes his identity and becomes
Andre Rache. At the same time he swears to God
on his word of honor that he will find the person(s) responsible for this tragedy and kill
them.
Rache’s
oath is the spoke around which WORD OF HONOR revolves.
Rache is a moralistic man who will not betray his word of honor, even when
he might find happiness in the months and years ahead if he did. His basic human nature drives him on, until he has
to ask himself it is his code of honor or his wrath that compels him to continue.
ABOUT
DANTE/RACHE:
Alchemist,
astronomer, veteran, scholar, and bladesman, Dante is framed for Zschernya’s murder
by the grand duke’s youngest son, Michael. Only
Michael knows that Dante is Zschernya’s eldest son, a bastard who the grand duke
supported but did not acknowledge even to his closest council. Nevertheless the ruler kept appraise of his
illegitimate son’s accomplishments, and finally decided he should approach Dante and
try to make amends by informing his son of the young man’s secret heritage. Michael, jealous and threatened by his
father’s admiration for his bastard half-brother, decides to dispose of his father
and Dante with one swift stroke.
SPRINGBOARDS:
“Son
of Man”: After escaping the
hangman’s noose, Rache rescues the gypsy Aznavour and his pregnant daughter Maria
(who is in labor) from murderous brigands. Rache
delivers Maria’s boy, a breach baby, and, when the grateful gypsies insist he have
the honor of naming the child, he tells them, “Call him Dante.” Rache agrees to accompany the gypsies to their
destination if they will stop by the home of an old friend.
Rache actually wants to return to his Mabuse cottage to retrieve some personal
items, unaware that his escape has been discovered and troops are searching for the
fugitive in and around Mabuse.
“Genesis”: The story of Dante’s legacy, life, arrest, and
escape.
“The
Straw”: Rache intervenes when a nobleman
tries to take advantage of a young peasant woman, only to get his back broken for his
efforts. The woman nurses Rache back to health
during the following months, but the man recovers more from his need to fulfill his oath
than anything the woman does. It becomes
obvious she wants Rache to remain with her, and he realizes he does have feelings for her,
but refuses her request to stay so he can continue his unhappy quest.