This is one of my favorite films. It's not a great film, by any means, but to me it is eminently enjoyable. It has a fine cast, a literate script by Robert Ardrey, wonderful cinematography by Christopher Challis, and a lovely, melodic score by Bronislau Kaper. What's not to like? An earlier writer remarked that the film does not take itself too seriously, and to me that's one of its best qualities. The film combines drama, comedy, romance and action in approximately equal parts to good effect. It's even a little bit ahead of its time, in some ways. The theme of the good man who is a relic from an earlier time became a staple in the '60s and '70s, particularly for filmmakers such as Sam Peckinpah. It received an early sounding in "Quentin Durward." Robert Morley steals the show by the way. He delivers a charming whitewash of the paranoid and manipulative Louis XI. It was also my introduction to Kay Kendall. This is not one of her top roles, but new viewers will get a taste of her talents and may seek out films that showed off her multifaceted skills as an actress, comedienne, singer and dancer. She was a short-lived wonder. This is a sumptuous production with top stars and a great story. Why isn't it on DVD?
Review of Quentin Durward
