MartinHafer It is very difficult to make a film set during the feudal era. After all, studios do want to make money and the lack of flash involving a story of common folk is a hard sell. Now it IS possible to make an exciting film about Medieval life--"The Vikings" (1958) is a great example as are pageantry films like "Ivanhoe" and "Robin Hood". But in general, the life of most during this period in history was pretty ordinary. There are no explosions, colors are muted and haircuts pretty bad (just look at Charlton Heston in this film)--and it takes real creativity to make an exciting film about this era--especially when "The War Lord" lacks the wild story elements of these other films. So, I had relatively low expectations for "The War Lord"--as making an engaging story would be an uphill battle.The film begins with Heston playing a favored knight working for a Duke in Norman Europe (modern day northwestern France). Heston's job as the new lord is to go into a godforsaken part of the kingdom and set to rebuilding its castle and restoring the Duke's authority. It seems that the old knight in charge of the region was remiss in his duties and the land fell into ruin. By saying 'remiss', I mean the guy was more interested in despoiling the local maidens and not much else and let the locals practice their old pagan ways! As for Heston's men, they, too, seem mostly interested in raping the local lasses. As for Heston, he's an enigma. Although he condemns such activities, when he meets up with a local lady about to be ravished, he's not exactly chaste--as he stands there staring at her nudity. And, through the course of the film, he seems almost 'bewitched' by this woman--though she doesn't seem to encourage him. The main theme of the film seems to be the clash between traditional values--paganism versus Christianity. Although the folks say they are good Christians, they retain many old ways. And, Heston is not exactly a bastion of Christian goodness, as through the course of the film he loses his moral compass. Eventually, he seems bent on exercising the feudal right of a lord to sleep with a virgin on her wedding night ("droit du seigneur"). I did some research on this right and apparently there really isn't any historical proof that such a privilege ever existed--especially since it would be hard to reconcile this with the teachings of the Church (of course, MANY behaviors by the nobles violated Biblical teaching during this time period--the whole 'thou shalt not kill' thing was pretty much ignored). The film might irritate some, as when Heston does exercise this probably fictional right, the fair lass was quite willing. This might tend to promote the old rape myth--the one that says women protest but they WANT to be ravished by a man who won't take no for an answer. It irritated me more for it promoting bad history (in regard to the supposed right) but in some other ways it was excellent history. Knights did pretty much bully the serfs and Heston's men wanting to do as they pleased to the poor folk was very possible. And, although the film was a bit slow, it did show life for the lower ranks of the nobility--a group pretty much ignored in other films. But I couldn't look past that the film was not particularly enjoyable or interesting--thank goodness at least it had a battle near the end to add some excitement. And, I am sure, at the time the film wasn't much of a success because of this.Some low-lights of the film would include Maurice Evans' character. This priest was VERY confusing--very pagan AND very Christian at the same time! He just didn't make much sense. Nor, now that I think about it, did the actions of Heston, the hot lady (Rosemary Forsyth) or many of the other characters.The highlights, at least for me, included a nearly naked Heston fighting against the evil Frisians--and shoving fire in the guy's face! It was cool...and a bit funny. And, seeing the boiling oil tossed on the Frisians near the end was pretty exciting...in a low-brow sort of way.As for me, I still prefer "The Vikings" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". In fact, repeatedly through the latter portion of the film I kept expecting to see the Trojan Rabbit or hear Heston tell his men "fetchez the vache".

JoeytheBrit Charlton Heston was never one of my favourite actors: He lacked humour of any description which meant that he lacked an essential quality necessary for the creation of a fully-rounded character. The kind of role he plays here - that of a soldier awarded lands and the people who dwell on them in payment for his military services to a duke - is ideally suited to his dour and colourless persona, but the film's verbosity gives away its stage origins and makes for very dull fare.Heston's lord of the manor takes a shine to a local peasant girl on the eve of her wedding and decides to take advantage of the local custom that entitles him to have her warm his bed on her wedding night. Naturally, the girl's new husband isn't too thrilled about this - and is positively apoplectic when Heston then refuses to give her back. A pitched battle between the lord and his subjects follows.The trouble with this film is that it asks us to identify and sympathise with a basically unlikeable character. He gives no thought to the people and lives he is destroying by deciding to keep the girl for himself, irrespective of the fact that his feelings for her are reciprocated. Nor does he give any regard for the lives of the faceless soldiers who defend him when his castle is besieged by the understandably outraged locals. No lasting love is born from a one-night stand between a young married woman and a middle-aged single man between whom barely two conversations have taken place and so the audience sympathy is more closely allied to the peasants than the lord. Presumably, a kind of Romeo and Juliet scenario is supposed to be alluded too, but this dull effort falls far short of any Shakespearean aspirations it might have.

gpeevers A long serving Knight named Chrysagon (Charlton Heston) is sent by his Duke to safeguard a dismal coastal outpost of swamps and fens from a lone tower. Here he finds himself troubled by the Frisian raiders, his non-Christian nature worshiping subjects and his own growing desire for a peasant girl named Bronwyn (Rosemary Forsyth).Heston has some good scenes, but his character's seemingly irrational behavior and extreme mood swings seem somewhat forced and artificial. More impressive in their portrayals are both Maurice Evans as the local priest and Guy Stockwell as Draco, Chrysagon's sly younger brother. Rounding out the cast we have Richard Boone as Bors, Chrysagon's loyal right hand man. While the part may not be perfectly suited to Boone his imposing physical presence is quite effective in this role.The film has some reasonably good action sequences (at least for the era in which it was made), some intrigue, some romance and considerable drama, but the problem seems to be that the film makers couldn't decide what kind of story they were trying to tell. In particular the romantic aspect of the film is definitely undersold. While Bronwyn is obviously smitten by the Chrysagon, other than physical attraction we don't really know why she is drawn to him, perhaps because she is given so few lines of dialog. Also given very limited time is the local mysticism and how it balances with the priests Christianity.Director Franklin J. Shaffner (Patton) while not succeeding here would reunite four years later with both Charlton Heston and Maurice Evans for a much more successful film Planet of the Apes.While not as realistic as todays films, this movie took a big step in depicting the feudal lifestyle in a more gritty and realistic fashion. This included the beliefs and attitudes of both the peasants and the lords.The first time Heston appears on screen with his pageboy haircut it's somewhat difficult not to laugh out loud.

janecreates If good acting, an unusual and very realistic story line are what you're after, this has it. And just for the record its very romantically shot and scored, and the battle scenes are cool. The script is well crafted and developed. I enjoy it whenever I'm feeling escapist, but don't want illusions! A tall order - but this film does just that. The medieval story transports faithfully and accurately to another time, making the watcher forget the present without any of the camp, glamorized, contemporary touches that so often accompany films set so long ago. Please - if there's anyone reading this who can - bring out a DVD!