I guess this passed for charming and profound to the French masses in 1966. Despite the bad Felliniesque carnival atmosphere, the movie is grindingly tedious. The "war is insanity" message is delivered in a shallow and superficial way that must have been considered cliche even then. The sexism is palpable throughout (all the women are represented by brothel prostitutes, and a naked man exposing himself to nuns is presented as amusing and, I guess, "defiant"). It took me two attempts to sit through the whole thing. It has its moments but it's like trudging through molasses to get to them. As much as I like Alan Bates, this was just not worthwhile.
Review of King of Hearts
