The War Lord (1965)

In 11th century Normandy, a Norman duke sends one of his knights to build a defensive fortress in order to guard the borders against Frisian raiders.

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner (as Franklin 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:

warlord | epic | 11th century | sword and shield | norman | 

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Taglines:

Towering Above All Adventures of the Flesh, the Sword and the Soul!

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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:

The War Lord

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Court Productions, Fraser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The part of Odins is played by Niall MacGinnis, a character actor who appeared in countless medieval films in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

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Goofs

The War Lord's hawk is a Harpy Eagle, a species recognizable by its dark eyes and crested head. However, Harpy Eagles are from South America, a continent unknown and unreachable for European people in the Middle Age. So, it's impossible for a Middle Age, European Lord to own a bird that comes from South America.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: In the eleventh century, Europe was patchwork of feudal states, extending from the Mediterranean to the shores of the North Sea. Powerful dukes exerted life-and-death control over their primitive subjects. One such, Duke William of Ghent, held a coastal area in Normandy. To protect the fens and marshes of a troubled corner of his domain, the duke sent a troop of warriors led by his most trusted knight, Chrysagon de la Crux. This Norman war lord was charged to impose the duke's will...

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Connections

Referenced in La bande du drugstore (2002)

User Reviews

Painstakingly accurate epic

Painstakingly accurate historical epic that has Norman knight Heston, in charge of an 11th-century Druid community. He exercises his right to claim bride Forsyth on the night of her wedding, and she then falls for the knight, refusing to leave his side. Seeking vengeance, Farentino, the son of Druid leader MacGinniss, foments an all-out war between Heston and Heston's covetous brother (Stockwell). Despite the impressive scope of the battle scenes, The War Lord, based on a stage play by Stevens, is an intimate drama. Still, the sure-handed direction of Schaffner and the credible performances of Heston et al are well complemented by Morross's driving, Stravinsky-like score.