Now the historical epics of the 1950s and 60s may have their historical flaws no doubt, but they do shed some light on historical events which otherwise to a non-historian may be forgotten?
Anyway the film itself tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. Its big, its lavish, it has a good main cast, good music. So why only award it 7/10 you may ask?
Well their are a few flaws which are often picked up on by others which are reasonable. Top billing goes to Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur (1959) and Ava Gardner who had been active at the point of production in the early 1960s for twenty years. Now the two leads are meant to share some romantic tryst in which I failed to notice much spark.
The Chinese cast were drawn from around Europe to the production base in Spain so says the trivia. Its a shame that professional Chinese actors couldn't play the parts?
The production design is excellent as is most often the case in these productions produced by Samuel Bronston. (King of Kings (1961), Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), El Cid (1961). The music score by Dimitri Tiomkin is excellent. However all was not well behind the scenes apparently if you read about the film. Watching it nearly 60 years later I thought it was alright.
Anyway the film itself tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. Its big, its lavish, it has a good main cast, good music. So why only award it 7/10 you may ask?
Well their are a few flaws which are often picked up on by others which are reasonable. Top billing goes to Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur (1959) and Ava Gardner who had been active at the point of production in the early 1960s for twenty years. Now the two leads are meant to share some romantic tryst in which I failed to notice much spark.
The Chinese cast were drawn from around Europe to the production base in Spain so says the trivia. Its a shame that professional Chinese actors couldn't play the parts?
The production design is excellent as is most often the case in these productions produced by Samuel Bronston. (King of Kings (1961), Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), El Cid (1961). The music score by Dimitri Tiomkin is excellent. However all was not well behind the scenes apparently if you read about the film. Watching it nearly 60 years later I thought it was alright.