naseby Review of The Long Ships

The Long Ships (1964)

Take it for what it is, sixties-style Viking romp! *** Spoilers ***

[7/10 · 20 June 2015]

It it is what it is...the OTHER Viking film of the sixties, A Moorish King, Aly Mansah (Sidney Poitier) cajoles after much fighting with his Viking adversary, Rolfe (Richard Widmark), looking out of place as much as the British supporting cast for a legendary 'Golden Bell' named 'The Mother of Voices' at the 'Pillars of Hercules'... well, there's much gold in that of course and we all know Vikings and maybe, a Moorish king, would love to have 'half the world in gold' if they could (as we would, without the adventuring). The Vikings at first as I've said, have an uneasy peace after nearly being executed by the 'Mare of Steel'... but choose instead to work together - and of course, it would keep the captured Vikings alive - for the time being! There's plenty of Viking-like drinking, using ladies for entertainment, talk of 'Odin' a captured wench-beauty in and on the 'Moor' side, Arabs who are reigned by a rich king with a lovely Rosanna Schiaffino as Aminah, his Queen. As mentioned, a strange miscasting for the likes of British supporting actors, Edward Judd, Colin Blakeley, Gordon Jackson and Dave Lodge as Rolfe's Viking 'crew'/stalwarts. I was half expecting Graham Stark, Sam Kydd, Percy Herbert, Michael Ripper and Harold Goodwin to be in there on that basis! It's as I say, a sixties-style Viking saga as much as 'The Vikings' was with its American headers of Poitier and Widmark and swashbuckling adventurism - still, this is what we grew up with and it's a lot better than the CGI nonsense and limited acting we see, so enjoyable when it has a TV run and welcome, just sit back and enjoy it! Nice touch as - shall I tell you, it does say 'Spoilers' at the top of my heading ... so read no further ... if... you wanted to know that the bell falls on Sidney Poitier and kills him! nice one! Filmed in Yugoslavia, this doesn't belie the fjords of Norway in any way.