The War Lord (1965)

A knight in the service of a duke goes to a coastal villiage where an earlier attempt to build a defensive castle has failed. He begins to rebuild the duke's authority in the face of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

John Collier (screenplay), Millard Kaufman (screenplay),

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston	...	Chrysagon
Richard Boone	...	Bors
Rosemary Forsyth	...	Bronwyn
Maurice Evans	...	Priest
Guy Stockwell	...	Draco
Niall MacGinnis	...	Odins
James Farentino	...	Marc
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Frisian Prince
Sammy Ross	...	Volc
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Piet
John Alderson	...	Holbracht
Allen Jaffe	...	Tybald
Michael Conrad	...	Rainault
Dal Jenkins	...	Dirck
Johnny Jensen	...	Boy Prince

Storyline

A knight in the service of a duke goes to a coastal villiage where an earlier attempt to build a defensive castle has failed. He begins to rebuild the duke's authority in the face of the barbarians at the border and is making progress until he falls in love with one of the local women.

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Plot Keywords:

castle | bare chested male | 10th century | sword and shield | medieval times | 

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Taglines:

He Battled Two Empires For The Love Of One Woman.

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Senhor da Guerra

Filming Locations:

Colusa County, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Court Productions, Fraser Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Charlton Heston's published diaries, "Charlton Heston: The Actor's Life; Journals 1956-1976" he wanted Julie Christie to be his co-star, but she was vetoed by the studio.

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Goofs

Although the action supposedly takes place at the height of Norman power in the 11th century, in the area where the movie is set, indeed throughout western Europe, paganism had been largely eradicated by the end of the 8th century. It is conceivable that tiny, secret cells of druids might have existed in hiding until the 11th century, but certainly not an entire village openly practicing druidism. Druidism itself was wiped out by pre-Christian imperial Rome.

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Quotes

Chrysagon: [of Bronwyn] She has a calm face.
Draco: So has a cow.

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Connections

Referenced in La bande du drugstore (2002)

User Reviews

Accurate depiction of Medieval life

Captures a harsh flavor of medieval life in a way few other movies have -- the fervent Christianity at odds with superstition, the uncomfortable living conditions, the rigid barrier between ruler and ruled, the messy practicalities of medieval warfare, the absence of anything like personal "freedom". Also great to see portrayed a specific period of the 11th century that is not often depicted--around the time of William the Conqueror (one wonders if "The Duke" talked about in the story is meant to be William). Worth seeing too for the striking, brutally poetic dialog and Heston's performance.

The over-romantic score is distracting and often inappropriate. The female lead seems mis-directed--one feels she could do more, but is not being given the opportunity.