Artivels Undescribable Perfection

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

JohnHowardReid Narrated by Michael Rennie. Director: HENRY HATHAWAY. Screenplay: Talbot Jennings. Based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain. Technicolor photography: Jack Cardiff. Technicolor consultant: Joan Bridge. Music: Richard Addinsell. Music conductor: Muir Mathieson. Art directors: Paul Sheriff and W. Andrews. Film editor: Manuel Del Campo. Special effects: W. Percy Day. Costumes: Michael Whittaker. Sound: Buster Ambler. Western Electric Sound System. Made at London Film Studios, Shepperton, England, and on locations in North Africa. Producer: Louis D. Lighton. Copyright 24 August 1950 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 1 September 1950. U.S. release: 8 August 1950. U.K. release: 25 September 1950. Australian release: 8 September 1950. Sydney opening at the Regent. 10,910 feet. 120 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Two 13th century Saxons, with a hatred for the Normans, leave England for China where they team up with a vicious Mongol warlord. NOTES: Negative cost: $4.5 million. Number 14 at Australian ticket windows for 1950, the film was also one of the top 25 attractions at the U.S./Canadian box office for the year. In the United Kingdom, however, where both Power and Hawkins were major money-spinning stars, the film failed to place among the champions. Michael Whittaker was nominated for an Academy Award for his color costume designs, losing to Samson and Delilah. Final film of Cecile Aubry, the star of Manon. I'm told she retired from the screen after marrying a Moroccan prince who met her whilst visiting the film set. VIEWERS' GUIDE: Extraordinarily, the current film censor's classification is "G" for general exhibition. You'd think the movie would at least rate a "PG" for occasional medium-level violence. I would go further. Adults only. It's not just that the violence is occasional, it's the way it's presented. The movie is permeated with a vicious tone of casual cruelty which makes the violence seem even more forceful than what is actually depicted. INITIAL COMMENT: In many ways, a typical Hathaway film with exciting action episodes and effective use of natural backgrounds. The plot has a Boys Own Paper quality but it is more literate in the telling than it is in the synopsis and the characters are vividly brought to life by a fine cast of seasoned players. Hathaway feels that he was unsuccessful with Welles and Aubry but to my mind Welles has a compelling screen presence even when he is not trying as here. Aubry makes a charming and unusual Hollywood heroine in that she has a strong personality that belies her youthful appearance. The only colorless player is Mr. Power who gives his usual efficient but unremarkable performance. The film has been lensed on a lavish budget, the sets and the color photography are never less than breathtaking." UPDATED COMMENT: Alas, my initial enthusiasm was not borne out by a current viewing. True, a viewing on TV, and you just can't hope to match the impact of a movie designed for the cinema screen when that picture is reduced to lounge-room dimensions and shown to an audience of two. All the same it's curious that I now find myself in agreement with my contemporary colleagues.

roeschter-220-321816 The movie is a childhood memory, and a well remembered one. I think its a underrated little jewel from the 50s, well executed for the time and set in an interesting historical period. I appreciate the movie for being the only (western) adventure movie set in Mongol expansion period I ever came across and it got me interested in this particular historical period for live. Although not very accurate on historical details it gives an overall good impression of the time. Orson Welles playing Mongol general Bayan as quick-witted, educated and tolerant, though ruthless, forms the acting highlight of the movie. Although other roles don't stand by their acting the collection of characters presented is quite amusing. The movie stands out from other adventure movies of the period by avoiding a clear hero and villain patterns, most characters are ambiguous. The plot is the weakest point of the movie, covering a storyline spanning years and stretching from England to China it simply tries to compress too much into its 120min. Watching it as a lineup of historical scenes during quite fascinating times makes it enjoyable nevertheless.

gazzo-2 What a strange movie. Check this cast-Tyrone Power playing a 36 year old college student(!), Jack Hawkins as Little John, Orson Welles as a Genghis Khan type(!?) enroute to sack China and/or bring some tribute to Kublai Khan, Herbert Lom(!!) in a cameo as a caravan-head, Michael Rennie in a two-season wrap-around cameo as King Ed, and some 14 year old blonde French lass who was shockingly 22(!) at the time-you could fooled me.I donno quite what to make of it-nice desert filming, odds and sodds casting, a war is on but all you ever see is some smoke billowing off in the distance of some 'burning city', they wind up in China and then have to sneak out. Hawkins ends up dead-but you are also left hanging as to whatever happened to the girl.Those last two scenes-King Ed forgives him for everything he said, Power does his Marco Polo bearing gifts and kick starting the rennaisance in the UK some 200 years early--ooo here's gun powder! here's the Printing Press! here's the compass!, only to be met by two armor-plated Mongol knight doubling as Western Union reps(!) all the way from China(?!), bearing the girl and a message from Orson.Like I said, very, very strange. It's worth seeing just because, but-don't expect to see a war movie, that's not this.**1/2 outta ****

thebb1951 The Black Rose is an extremely uninvolving film, due both to its unfocused script and the miscasting of Tyrone Power and Cecile Aubrey. Power is far too old to play an Oxford student who has dropped out of college. A 20 year old in the part might have made the hot-headedness of the character acceptable, but Power was 36 when he made this, and watching him behave this way simply made me think he was immature or nasty and vindictive. Cecile Aubrey is truly awful. She comes across as a child, and has no sex appeal or chemistry with Power. It's doubly curious that she's called "The Black Rose" but has blonde hair and a light complexion. Orson Welles has some enjoyable moments as the warlord, and Jack Hawkins is solid as the best friend. There is some nice production value, but there are no battle scenes that actually take place on screen. This is a movie in which things just happen, but not because the characters are driven to make them happen. All in all, it's rather dull and definitely not recommended.