A lot of film critics, including some I admire, such as Andrew Sarris, have praised this Medieval epic. I, however, find it to be a typical Franklin Schaffner movie, that is, too long, too slow, too bombastic and too little humor. A couple things are good like the midget and the kid he protects as well as the pre wedding orgy scene and there are some good performances from Guy Stockwell (Dean's older brother), Richard Boone and Maurice Evans. But for the most part it's just a lot of Chuck Heston looking pained and declaiming rather than talking and Rosemary Forsythe not doing much of anything beyond being very attractive. And the central motif of droit de seigneur encroaches on the tiresome and silly land of the aging male fantasy. Give it a C plus.
Review of The War Lord
