The Young Rebel

The writing, direction, and acting in "Cervantes" are no more than serviceable, making it yet another in that long line of "costumers" which came out of the European film industry in the '50s and '60s. However, "Cervantes" has the advantage of being set in the 16th-century, when Christian and Islamic forces fought for control of the Mediterranean, and it's this rich background -- not often explored by the movies -- which gives "Cervantes" its points of interest. The casting here is also a notch better than usual, with acting honors going to Jose Ferrer as a Turkish Bey. And those viewers who dislike leading man Horst Buchholz will be pleased to learn that he's both flogged and racked in this movie and, at one point, almost beheaded.