Jack Cardiff directed an adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's ' Sons and Lovers ' and got exceptional performances out of actors Wendy Hiller, Dean Stockwell, Trevor Howard and Mary Ure. This was I believe his best film, and although ' The Lion ' based again on a novel; that of Joseph Kessel is well directed and acted but too much time is spent in a fairly short running time of views of African landscapes. Many films in the 1950's indulged in this and I suppose Cinemascope demanded it giving permission for Malcolm Arnold to thump out one of his worst musical scores. But what time the narrative has left is well spent and the beautiful and rather sad face of Capucine held my attention by the nuances in her acting. The two male leads, William Holden and Trevor Howard are not outstanding, but good. Pamela Franklin supports the actors well, and her love for the Lion of the title was not as maudlin as it could have been in other hands. There is also tribal conflict, but it is a very white man's perspective of their country which I suppose was typical of the era, and they seem to be there not as individual people but just to serve the plot. Very much a ' man's film ' and Capucine rather resignedly looks on. The film is watchable, fast moving in ever sense but could have had more depth of character. I have never read Kessel's work ( he also wrote the novel which Bunuel brilliantly adapted for ' Belle de Jour ' ) so I cannot say if the film is faithful to the sprit of ' The Lion '. Worth seeing.
Review of The Lion
