Maybe not the greatest film debut in motion picture history, but it's certainly a good chance to look at the young Anjelica Huston, play beautiful but not really playing a strong role. She does what is asked of her and nothing more, and her role of Lady Claudia really does not require any strong acting. Because of her relationship to director John Huston, she was criticized for her performance, something which 50 years later seems unnecessary because of the way that the part is written. All she is supposed to do is look beautiful and be vulnerable, under the protection of the young Assaf Dayan who is in love with her. This is set during the Hundred Years War, and as the credits tell us, neither of the leading characters were born yet when it began or still living when it ended, indicating that this will end tragically.
After her family is killed, Huston is taken under Dayan's protection and becomes vulnerable to him. The storyline really isn't strong but it is certainly a cinematic look at a very brutal time in history, showing a drawn and quartering (definitely a turn away if you must scene), as well as some of the religious hypocrisy of the time. I didn't recognize most of the cast outside of John Huston, Anthony Higgins and Michael Gough. It is a very handsome production, almost epic in scope, but certainly not in length. The film reminds me a lot of Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" in the way it is filmed, especially musically. It flows very nicely and is not boring, but it's missing that certain something that would have given it the elements necessary to becoming a historical drama of note, perhaps the reason why it has fallen into obscurity.
After her family is killed, Huston is taken under Dayan's protection and becomes vulnerable to him. The storyline really isn't strong but it is certainly a cinematic look at a very brutal time in history, showing a drawn and quartering (definitely a turn away if you must scene), as well as some of the religious hypocrisy of the time. I didn't recognize most of the cast outside of John Huston, Anthony Higgins and Michael Gough. It is a very handsome production, almost epic in scope, but certainly not in length. The film reminds me a lot of Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" in the way it is filmed, especially musically. It flows very nicely and is not boring, but it's missing that certain something that would have given it the elements necessary to becoming a historical drama of note, perhaps the reason why it has fallen into obscurity.